


Unforeseen Vacation

by sampsonknight



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Desire, Drama, Family Issues, Forests, M/M, Misunderstandings, Relationship(s), Secrets, Self-Esteem Issues, Turtlecest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-23
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-07-26 07:29:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7565473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sampsonknight/pseuds/sampsonknight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Going on their family vacation, Donnie takes the initiative to invite his old friend Leatherhead this year. Little does the alligator know what kind of trip this is going to turn out, nor does Donnie at that. What seemed to be a getaway into the woods, turn south quickly, as many unforeseen elements are at play.</p>
<p>This is a Leatherhead X Donnie story, written for Momorawrr.</p>
<p>Disclaimer: TMNT  isn’t mine and this is just a fan fiction writing. No money is being made on this story.<br/>(TMNT CC are AU based on 2003 version, the turtles are in their middle 20s and LH is 30)<br/>Warning (Rated: M) T-cest, sexual themes, and some disturbing content later on.<br/>Please Don’t Read if you don’t like this stuff.</p>
<p>Also thank you zelgadis55 for correcting this story for me... So much blood...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LineCrosser](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LineCrosser/gifts).



* * *

 

The fresh air seeped in through the cracks of the window, making the turtle yawn, happy that his driving shift was over with.  
  
Driving for five hours was tiresome, though it wasn’t that the scenery was bland with no interest to color his world.  
  
On the contrary, it was magnificent, but to rest one's eyes and relax on the soft cushions of the sofa, that was more appealing by far.  
  
It had been days since they left New York in the old transport that Donnie snatched up long ago, converting it into a mobile home for his brothers and he to travel in under cover and without suspicion.  
  
It was fitting, how the outside looked just like any other transport truck pulling its load.  
  
It worked great at the custom’s point between Canada and the US, and if anyone did dare to open the back, all they saw was the setup display that made it appear that the truck was full of merchandise.  
  
To add an extra flare of detail, Donnie installed some alien tech that also made the driver appear human to anyone outside looking in.  
  
That alone made things less difficult. They could travel in the daylight, and any of the brothers could drive and not have to plaster their body with clothing to hide their turtle appearance.  
  
With this truck in their possession, it became a new tradition that the brothers, once a year around spring time and feeling the need to have nature around them, planned some kind of vacation that didn’t involve cities or civilization period.  
  
Each year had a new destination, with fresh experiences that each brother had a say in, taking turns.  
  
This year it was Donnie's choice; he wanted to rent a cabin in the mountains of British Columba within Canada.  
  
He had been waiting patiently to see these mountains and do various hiking activities which he loved doing.  
  
The cabin he found was simply perfect.  
  
It was in the middle of nowhere and had a vast promise of activates.  
  
To top the vacation off, after some discussion, the brothers decided to invite their friend to come join them.  
  
Leatherhead, who never ventured outside the city was hesitant at first, unsure if coming would be wise, and it was obvious he was still wary of his instinctive side which took over here and there.  
  
However, none of the brothers were worried or fearful of him losing his cool and attacking them or anyone else.  
  
It wasn't until Donnie finally convinced him, stating how their vacations normally went.  
  
It would start out great, then slowly it turned into the same old circus act; with Mikey pushing too many buttons, Raph losing his temper chasing Mikey as all hell broke loose, and ending with Leo giving long, exhausting lectures.  
  
Then he would just sit there wishing he had someone intelligent to strike a conversation with.  
  
Leatherhead, seeing this was Donnie’s attempt to convince him, actually agreed, feeling sorry for Donatello, who only wanted to spend the time having some fun and relaxing without the normal routine shackling him down.  
  
It was a miracle that anyone got out of these vacations alive by the sounds of things.  
  
"How long do we still have to travel?" Leatherhead asked, looking over the map; it was helpful, yet at the same time it wasn't, since he’d been in the back for some time, not really paying attention to any of the landmarks that had rushed by.  
  
Sure, there were the windows that Donnie installed letting in the fresh air; those were also set up so that anyone outside could only see the truck’s exterior and nothing more. However, Leatherhead avoided staring out of them, finding he was suffering from car sickness. He tried to cover the inconvenience of this for himself by avoiding watching the consistently moving scenery altogether.  
  
Looking up from the pillow he had put his head on, Donnie shrugged, "I believe maybe another forty-eight hours or so, why?"  
  
"Oh no reason, I was just wondering and getting myself prepared for one of Michelangelo’s hour long disruptions to ask 'are we there yet'," Leatherhead pointed out, having discovered first-hand how annoying that was and how the younger turtle brother was a pro in keeping up the facade even when it was getting boring for himself.  
  
"About that… good luck with that," Donnie smirked. "No amount of preparation can get you remotely ready to handle him."  
  
Nodding with a smile which made Donnie blush and look away, Leatherhead took no notice of this, answering Donnie, "I sadly believe you're right. Though I have to admit, not that I'm complaining, he has been very quiet of late, and you seem unconcerned about this..."  
  
Trying to hold in the laughter that made Leatherhead raise an eyebrow, Donnie licked his lips, "That would be..." he started, then paused, looking through to the cab to see if either Leo or Raph were paying any attention to the conversation.  
  
Of course they were just sitting there listening to music, probably taking the opportunity of the silent moments thanks to the lack of Mikey's activity.  
  
This was such a rare opportunity that both put away any arguments they could start up with, instead simply enjoying each other's company.  
  
These were the moments even Donnie relished, though he did feel a slight guilt for how they all celebrated in their own way, having some peace of mind.  
  
Not saying Mikey was always annoying per se, it was just worse when traveling, and with there not being anything around to occupy and drain his endless energy.  
  
"Well?" Leatherhead inquired, tilting his head. He found this so-called moment of peace a bit disturbing, feeling as though waiting for the explosion to irrupt and take them all by storm.  
  
Seeing Mikey like this was something that spelled danger, rather than making one feel at ease.  
  
"I drugged his soda with Gravol," Donnie grinned ear to ear over his clever plan.  
  
"You did what?" Leatherhead spat in shock. Did Donnie really just admit to drugging his little brother?  
  
Noticing how horrified Leatherhead was over this, Donnie shuddered, wondering if the alligator thought he was cruel or thought less of him, "Leatherhead... It's not what you think," Donnie spazzed, waving his hands in front of him.  
  
"Truthfully Donatello I am not sure how this can't be what I think?” Leatherhead said disapprovingly. “How can you just causally drug your little brother like that?"  
  
"Well..." Donnie swallowed hard, feeling stupid. How could he explain what he had done to Leatherhead without being judged? "One, it was only Gravol; that stuff is used when someone has problems with their stomach. In Mikey's case, it makes him drowsy, and he tends to fall asleep; it's really not dangerous and two, to keep all our sanity. It was the less inhumane way to get him to calm down. It’s that or Raph almost killing him…"  
  
Falling into silence, Donnie didn't dare to look at Leatherhead, thinking he must see him in a different light now and not a good one, but then suddenly the silence was broken as Leatherhead asked an unusual question, "By chance do you have any more?"  
  
Blinking Donnie looked at him, unsure why he was asking, "Yes, why?"  
  
"I..." Leatherhead started, shameful, that he was going to admit he was having problems.  
  
"Leatherhead are you car sick?" Donnie asked, getting up from his seat to take a better look at the alligator that he finally realized did look a bit paler than usual.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then why didn't you say something earlier, I have non-drowsy for anyone who is having some issues," Donnie stated, going to a cupboard and taking two chew tablets for Leatherhead.  
  
"I didn't want to bother anyone."  
  
Smiling, Donnie shook his head, "You’re not bothering anyone actually, and you’re not the only one that suffers from car sickness. Leo also has issues, which is why I have the drug for him."  
  
"Really? I never knew Leonardo got car sick," Leatherhead said, taking the pills from Donnie and popping them in his mouth, hoping this would help the rising tide in his stomach to have calm waters once again.  
  
"He didn't either, until the first time we went on a vacation. He was sicker than a dog, and it was really bad. I had to pick up some Gravol on the trip, and at the time it was the stuff that can make you drowsy. That's how we know it works on Mikey, since he thought to take a couple for fun, and as a result, slept a good portion of the trip."  
  
Laughing over the story, Leatherhead grinned, "It must have been quite a quiet trip."  
  
"Yes, you have no idea." Donnie sat back down, staring out of the window and feeling Leatherhead's eyes on his neck; something that made him nervous.  
  
"I think I might take a rest myself, while I can, to see whether this will help my stomach," Leatherhead announced, getting up to head to the room that was given to him to use.  
  
"Of course, have a good rest," Donnie shyly said, avoiding those questioning eyes. What was wrong with him of a sudden? He never before felt so nervous around their friend, yet when was it that he spent so much time alone with him that didn't involve work?  
  


* * *

  
  
Two days passed and Donnie couldn't have been happier to feel the warm sun on his shell and the grass between his toes.  
  
The trip here wasn't as hellish as past experiences, but it was still refreshing to get out of that sometimes stuffy truck and meet nature first hand.  
  
As he suspected when arranging to rent this cabin over the net after seeing only pictures, it was beautiful.  
  
"Well Donnie, you out did yourself on this one." Leo patted his brother on the shoulder, smiling over the view of the sparkling blue lake that was at the bottom of the hill, ready for them to claim.  
  
"I was worried at first that the photos might have been exaggerated, but it seems there was no reason to worry," Donnie agreed happily.  
  
"Good thing too!" Raph huffed, chucking a bag at Donnie's head while swatting the annoying buzzing of Mikey, who was at the peak of his energy and frustrating the fuck out of Raph.  
  
Donnie turned around to comment to Raph, only to have the bag hit him directly in the face with a thud, knocking him off balance and causing him to fall backwards.  
  
A loud moan escaping him, Donnie slid the bag off his beak, feeling the sting of the hit and hearing his brother bark out a howl of laughter that Donnie was too slow.  
  
Narrowing his eyes at Raph, Donnie was about to snap a comeback, only to be startled by Leatherhead's hand extended to him.  
  
"Donatello, are you okay?" Leatherhead lent a hand, ignoring Raph's cruelty to his brother. By now, he was accustomed of how they act towards each other at times, and though he wasn't fond of the actions of that particular brother, mostly, he couldn’t judge. In the end, he kept it to himself, knowing it wasn't his business to intervene; regardless he wanted to teach Raph a lesson in most cases for being so inconsiderate towards Donnie.  
  
"I... umm..." Donnie responded, turning redder than the spot that was hit by the bag.  
  
"Ahh how cute is that Mikey, Donnie is blushing like a school girl with a crush!"  Raph roared, getting a warning look from Leo not to go there or start something.  
  
As the teasing came across Leatherhead, he turned red himself, he had seen the brothers tease amongst each other and even with Casey and April around, but never had they included him into it before.  
  
Donnie noticed the awkward look painted on Leatherhead's face and his anger flared as he ignored his friend’s aid, instead grabbing the bag and chucking at Raph's head before stomping away. "Raph, you're a jerk!" He snapped loudly.  
  
Catching the bag with ease, Raph shrugged, "What did I do?"  
  
"Bro, that was a bit too far," Mikey pointed out, before Leo could comment.  
  
"Sorry Leatherhead, Raph didn't mean anything by it; he gets stupid when on long trips and his mouth tends to get out of control," Leo apologized to their friend. He couldn’t believe, not even ten minutes after arriving at their vacation destination, that the water was boiling.  
  
Nodding, Leatherhead tried to shake the comment off, yet couldn't thanks to how Donnie reacted towards it, "I understand Leonardo. It caught me off guard as I am more accustomed to these playful acts towards each other, rather than involving me also."  
  
"Hey LH it just means we’re comfortable around you," Mikey put in his two cents as his other brothers gave him a look, saying not to say more than that, like they were hiding something from the alligator.  
  
"I'm not sure if I should be honored or not," Leatherhead answered with a small, nervous chuckle.  
  
"I promise Raph will behave, and if he doesn't just ignore him," Leo smiled sweetly at Leatherhead, then turned around giving the other two brothers the warning again, with his icy cold eyes.  
  
"I will take your advice Leonardo, until then, do you wish me to bring our things in?" Leatherhead pointed to the pile of bags and crates of food.  
  
"If you don't mind you can..." Leo started, then paused, witnessing the alligator’s strength in action as Leatherhead picked up all the items in one swoop, "Or you can take it all in..."  
  
As the alligator made his leave; Leo sighed, then focused on the brothers, waiting for Leatherhead to be out of earshot, "We promised to behave around Leatherhead."  
  
"Come on Leo, you really think we can hide this from him?" Raph huffed, crossing his arms.  
  
"Dude, he has a point there. It’s spring, how do you expect us to play nice?" Mikey bounced off Raph’s shell, licking the hothead on the cheek to see Leo's eyes widen like an owl’s, flashing a look in the direction Leatherhead was heading and hoping he didn't see Mikey’s playful side.  
  
"We promised Donnie to keep this as secret as possible. I know it's spring and you out of all  of us Mikey, become very horny. But I don't think spring to our friend is the same, and how we are towards each other suddenly, might be too much for him."  
  
"Then why the hell did we invite him Leo? This is our vacation," Raph growled, narrowing his eyes on the leader; he was against this at the get go, not wanting to complicate things.  
  
"For Donnie, he really wanted to bring Leatherhead. We are all aware that Donnie is the least active, and he wants to spend some time with someone, rather than just sit around moping considering he isn't in the mood to play and wants to do something else," Leo pointed out, feeling sorry for Donnie; he had his moments, but wasn't all that interested like his other brothers were.  
  
This time of year, their hormones were ravaging and these trips helped them to indulge themselves. However, Donnie always became depressed and Leo started to worry about him.  
  
Thinking that this might be a good turn of events to lift their brother’s spirits, Donnie could now go hang out with Leatherhead, doing things he wants to do, while the rest of them performed their normal acts of love without a care or worry if Donnie was upset or not.  
  
"Fine… but why don't we ever think of bringing Casey? That’s not fair that Donnie gets to bring his friend," Raph protested, having both turtles giving him a scolding look.  
  
"Casey doesn't share!" both barked, seeing the devilish grin on Raph's face.  
  
"Yeah... you have a point, the horn dog can’t get enough of me," Raph smirked more, gathering the rest of the items that needed to be brought into the cabin, "Alright Leo; I’ll try, but if he finds out I'm not fucken denying it. I'm not ashamed that I like to pork my brothers."  
  
Sighing Leo shook his head, "That kind of saying is what I’m worried about… and will only make him run away."  
  


* * *

  
  
Leatherhead, finding his way to the living room, took in the large wooden cabin around him; it was his first time ever being in one. To his surprise, it was very spacious, and he was relieved to find even someone of his size would have little problem roaming this place.  
  
With an open concept, there were two large wooden stairs that lead to a balcony and some rooms. The rooms he would figure would be five for each of them and a bathroom; however, there were only three. How would the sleeping arrangements work out?  
  
Placing the stuff on the floor, Leatherhead looked around, then noticed the back door that was connected to the kitchen was wide open. Did Donatello pass through?  
  
"He seemed very upset by his brother’s comment," Leatherhead told himself, flashing a look at the door to the front.  
  
He had seen the brothers joke around on many occasions, but this was the first he witnessed Donatello become so flustered over such horse play.  
  
Did he take Raph's comment seriously or was he embarrassed that he would take it the wrong way?  
  
Sighing, the alligator moved towards the back door, leaving the cabin to be met by the small stone path leading into the woods. There was no sign of Donatello, so Leatherhead figured he must have gone for a walk.  
  
"I should go see if he is okay. I don't want him to feel suddenly awkward around me, over his brother’s rash mouth."  
  
Following the path, Leatherhead breathed in the fresh air, admiring the trees that were budding.  
  
So this was what spring looks like in wild?  
  
Never having had the privilege of venturing out of the city in the peak of nature’s glory, this was a sight to see and one he was grateful to finally witness.  
  
Feeling free for the first time and very happy in a way he hadn't felt before, Leatherhead's mood soon started to become dreary as the strong smell of despair crawled into his nostrils.  
  
At first, he was confused where such a scent was coming from, or how it could be present here in the first place. Then to his surprise, in the distance he could make out the distinct figure of Donatello slumped on a log staring at nothing.  
  
The depressing smell was coming off of him.  
  
Confused, Leatherhead just stood there. Never before had he ever observed Donatello in such a state, nor smelt his scent so poisoned by gloom.  
  
Donatello’s scent, to him, was always a mix of flavor; a rich spice with a hint of sweetness. At times Leatherhead would imagine a pond with cattails and lily pads when he was around Donatello.  
  
That was his aroma, and it was rare to smell anything other.  
  
He had in the past smelled other scents from the other brothers, some more exotic than others, and he was still not sure what was on the brothers’ minds during those times, but Donnie was a creature of habit.  
  
Not in just what he did in life, but as in his moods as well.  
  
Donnie, not noticing the alligator was there, let out a long breath, kicking at the ground. As dust erupted in the air, he was hoping this would go smoothly for once.  
  
Yet Raph just had to open his big mouth… What if Leatherhead found out what his brothers were like? What would he think of him?  
  
"Donatello?"  
  
Startled upon hearing Leatherhead's voice, Donnie jumped, flashing a look at the alligator, "Leatherhead!"  
  
Smiling, the alligator sat down beside him, "Is there something the matter, my friend?"  
  
Looking away, Donnie twiddled his thumbs, "No..."  
  
"Is it because of your brother? It's not abnormal of him to be a... jerk, as you called him," Leatherhead smiled sweetly.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Or is it that you’re embarrassed of your family’s activities and think I would view you differently?" Leatherhead didn't beat around the bush; he wanted this be up front and was there to enjoy his first vacation, yet didn't want his friends to make this their worst over him.  
  
Shocked that Leatherhead asked him that, Donnie turned pale, stuttering over words that were becoming tangled over his tongue, "What... what are you referring to?"  
  
Shaking his head, Leatherhead should have known Donatello would try to deny it, "I am fully aware what this season means to you and your brothers, and what kind of activities you do when you believe you're alone. I am an alligator after all and have a higher sense of smell than humans. I know when one of your brothers is… frisky, I think you would call it."  
  
"You know that my brothers... fool around? Since when?" Donnie asked, mortified.  
  
"Since I first met you, though I noticed it was more active after your father passed away. I also know it is not just limited between you only, but also Casey and April if I am correct?" Leatherhead stated, or was it that he was confirming his suspicions.  
  
Nodding slowly, Donnie wasn't sure what Leatherhead was proving by this, "Yes, it's complicated. Leatherhead, why do you think I invited you?" Donnie asked nervously.  
  
"You need a friend," Leatherhead answered, thinking that was the case, though he wasn't sure why Donatello would think otherwise.  
  
Placing his hand under his chin, Donnie felt relieved that he didn't think anything other than that, "Yes, umm this is embarrassing, but... I'm not like my brothers and..."  
  
"And you wanted something different than the same routine?" Leatherhead quoted Donatello’s proposal from when he was trying to convince the alligator to come along.  
  
"Yes, I thought it would be nice to spend time with a friend while my brothers did their thing. I'm not into it like they are and Leo was worried that..." Donnie trailed off staring at his hands.  
  
"Then what are your plans? I'm very interested to hear what you had in mind for us to do? I think you mentioned hiking as one activity that sounds quite appealing, especially with this scenery."  
  
Cheering up and his aroma turning back to what Donatello should smell like, Donnie all but jumped to his feet, "I was thinking tomorrow we could go for a hike and have a picnic sometime later, afterwards return. By then my brothers should be settled down, well I hope they have."  
  
"Don't worry Donatello, I will not be awkward over their affections towards each other. This is their vacation too," Leatherhead assured the worried turtle.  
  
Nodding again, Donnie’s smile only brightened over how understanding and accepting Leatherhead was; this was more than he could hope for.  
  
Changing topic, Leatherhead looked back at the cabin, "I do have one concern about the sleeping arrangements."  
  
Chuckling lightly, Donnie scratched his head, "Ah, about that... I was planning to sleep in the camper for those three will get very frisky during the night and want me to take part, and like I said I'm not interested."  
  
"Then I guess I will sleep there as well," Leatherhead admitted.  
  
"Oh?" Donnie tilted his head.  
  
"I figure not much sleep will be occurring in the cabin, so it would be wiser to pick a quieter place to sleep."  
  
"Don't worry, they’ll settle down in a couple of days. They can’t help it," Donnie admitted, finding Leatherhead laughing again.  
  
"Apparently," Leatherhead stood up, stretching, "Shall we give a hand in putting things away?"  
  
Extending his hand out to aid Donatello, who took it gladly, he noticed how soft it was to the touch. He always figured his hands would be rough, yet they were far beyond that.  
  
"We should, or nothing will be done and also, you don't want me making supper tonight," Donnie said with what sounded like a threat at the end, making Leatherhead's face twist in horror over the mere idea of Donatello’s cooking.  
  
"I wish to live through my first vacation, not expire on the first day."  
  
Narrowing his eyes, Donnie scolded, "Hey, I’m not that bad! I was joking!"  
  
"Of course not, Donatello," Leatherhead winced, coughing out the lie which the turtle caught on to quickly, who in turn shook his finger at him in disapproval.  
  


* * *

  
  
"Then when you thought it couldn't get any worse, Raph here gets his foot stuck in the dumpster," Mikey enthusiastically spun his tale.  
  
"Huh… yeah whatever..."  Raph growled, breaking his bun in half, dipping it in the soup.  
  
Taking a bite, he didn't stop glaring death towards Mikey, who in turn continued telling the story at the dinner table at his own expense, just to entertain everyone.  
  
"Man, you should have seen his face when suddenly the truck started moving since the cops were on its bumper! The humans didn't even notice Raphie here, as they started to burn rubber, being chased by the men in blue," Mikey barked, slapping Raph on the shoulder.  
  
"Okay Mikey, I think this tale of the dumb turtle luck can be saved for another night," Leo told their younger brother, trying to play peace keeper as he saw the fire burning in Raph's golden eyes that lusted for Mikey's blood if he dared to continue.  
  
"Dumb turtle luck?" Leatherhead inquired, confused by the saying.  
  
Flashing a look in his direction, each brother turned pale, and it was Donnie, speaking before Mikey could, who started telling him what it was, "It's something you don't want to be a part of; essentially bad things happen if this so-called luck is about."  
  
"That involves Michelangelo?" Leatherhead asked, still a bit confused.  
  
"LH put it this way, if you ever hear any of us referring to Mikey having such luck, run. We would, if we could, get rid of him," Raph pointed out hearing a 'hey' in protest from Mikey.  
  
"I will take your word on it then," Leatherhead could only say, noticing the change in the air; the brothers were more open with him, even now. Though they didn't really explain this dumb turtle luck, they seemed more willing to be comfortable around him, like he was part of the family.  
  
Not that they didn't act like he wasn't before, but one could see the difference, and this wasn't something easily explained.  
  
"So what are your plans for tomorrow?" Leo changed the topic quickly.  
  
"Well, I know what I'm doing!" Mikey jumped in, getting a hand on his forehead by Leo ordering him to sit and letting Donnie speak since the question was directed to him.  
  
"Well Donnie?" Leo asked again, settling down the hyper turtle.  
  
"Leatherhead and I are going hiking starting early in the morning. Planning to have lunch in the woods, then be back before dusk. Is that okay Leo?" Donnie explained, waiting for the approval from the leader.  
  
Being the head of the family, most plans were brought to Leo beforehand; this was partially to show respect, as well as to make sure no plans crossed each other and ruined anyone else’s arrangements.  
  
Nodding on it, Leo smiled, "You're both going so I see nothing wrong with it. Besides, now that Leatherhead is here, I don't have to worry about you being by yourself. The woods are too vast and easy to get lost, not to mention that if anything happens, you’re not alone. You have each other."  
  
"I know Leo; I figured you wouldn't mind, but wanted to make sure no one had something else in mind," Donnie stated, seeing the sparking in Mikey's eye showing he had something up his sleeve.  
  
"Then it’s settled. Are you planning to pack tomorrow or tonight?" Leo took a sip of his soup.  
  
"Tonight... why?"  
  
Placing the spoon down, Leo tightened his lips, "Can you do the preparations in the morning? I was hoping if everyone was up to it, to have a bonfire..."  
  
"Will there be marshmallows!" Mikey jumped up excitedly.  
  
Rolling his eyes, Raph huffed, punching Mikey on the arm, which only made Mikey let out a husky scent of arousal.  
  
Ignoring it, Raph tapped his fingers on the table to control his own needs, "Of course there is, shell for brains!"  
  
"Then let’s grab them, come on Raphie." Mikey quickly grabbed Raph's arm, pulling the muscular turtle away from his dinner, while he desperately was trying to get the spoon to reach his mouth, instead ending up spilling the hot liquid on his lap.  
  
Like a bomb going off, Raph exploded, bull rushing at Mikey as the kid brother squealed happily, running out of the cabin.  
  
"I will take it supper is over," Leatherhead pointed out the obvious.  
  
"I would say so..." Leo agreed, seeing Donnie shake his head, placing his hand over his forehead.  
  
"I will make sure Raph doesn't kill Mikey.... or worse," Donnie stood up from the table, leaving Leo and Leatherhead alone.  
  
With a light chuckle under his breath, Leo picked up the bowls and placed them in the sink before turning his attention to Leatherhead once he was confident Donnie couldn't hear him, "Thanks again for coming, Leatherhead."  
  
Getting up to put his own bowl away, Leatherhead nodded, "It was my pleasure Leonardo, but please, answer something for me. How long has Donatello been depressed? I never noticed it before, but when I found him in the woods, it was like nothing I ever witnessed from him."  
  
Sighing Leo leaned his shell against the counter, "It started a while ago. Normally, him working at home keeps it at bay, so we never noticed it either. That was until we started coming on these trips. At first, it was subtle, then before any of us knew it, we saw how rough a shape he was really in."  
  
"I will take it you and your brothers have attempted to help him?"  
  
"Yes," Leo looked over towards the archway, "We tried everything we could and thought it was the trips in general, thinking that if we cancelled them, it would stop his descent..."  
  
"Then you noticed the signs at home, since you knew what you were looking for, I take it?" Leatherhead asked, feeling shameful he never noticed before till now.  
  
"That’s exactly what was happening. That is why I asked you to come when I noticed the change in Donnie when the idea came about. You’re his best friend, and I think he wanted to do more stuff with you than the usual, but was too shy in asking."  
  
"This was the perfect opportunity; I agree with no distraction and just hanging out without work over our heads."  
  
Nodding again, Leo smiled, "That’s right. Thank you again for coming and understanding how my brothers and I are like," Leo said, hinting about the playing around.  
  
"As I told you Leonardo that doesn't bother me, and I see what you mean, Donatello isn't the same as you and your other brothers. I am more than happy to spend time with him, and hopefully it will help him," Leatherhead agreed, then paused. "Do you think it’s for this difference he feels left out or disconnected?"  
  
Shrugging, Leo was at a loss, "I don't know. Donnie does participate when he wants to, but during this season, he does distance himself, no matter which one of us approaches him. I think having a nonromantic vacation to just hang out with a friend he respects will do wonders. I am hoping anyway..."  
  
"I am as well..." Leatherhead trailed off, "I told him I knew about your family."  
  
Flashing a look at him, Leo didn't look too pleased. "I thought we agreed you wouldn't bring it up, that’s why I’m keeping both Mikey and Raph on a short leash around you in order not to upset Donnie."  
  
"Leonardo, he was upset over Raphael’s comment, and I took the initiative to let him understand I know what is going on and I don't care. You should have seen him, Leonardo. He was so relieved, less stressed and immediately felt better over the incident. From what I have seen, trying to control your brothers right now is fruitless, but to have Donatello understand I am not judging was the better choice."  
  
Taking a breath, Leo held it before releasing it, "Very well, what’s done is done. I respect your judgment Leatherhead, and know I need another’s opinion on this matter and am thankful you’re the one that’s giving it."  
  


* * *

  
TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going on their family vacation, Donnie takes the initiative to invite his old friend Leatherhead this year. Little does the alligator know what kind of trip this is going to turn out, nor does Donnie at that. What seemed to be a getaway into the woods, turn south quickly, as many unforeseen elements are at play.
> 
> This is a Leatherhead X Donnie story, written for Momorawrr.
> 
> Disclaimer: TMNT isn’t mine and this is just a fan fiction writing. No money is being made on this story.  
> (TMNT CC are AU based on 2003 version, the turtles are in their middle 20s and LH is 30)  
> Warning (Rated: M) T-cest, sexual themes, and some disturbing content later on.  
> Please Don’t Read if you don’t like this stuff.
> 
> Also thank you zelgadis55 for correcting this story for me... So much purple blood??!

The rising sun kissed Donnie’s cheeks while he stretched toward the morning sky.   
  
The night before had been eventful, with many laughs and jokes that went around the bonfire. For a different pace, there were even some good, old scary tales told, which even Leatherhead took part in, managing to frighten the shit out of Mikey in the end.   
  
Of course, midway through Raph became smashed, with Leo quickly following, guzzling a few more beers to catch up to Raph's already sixth bottle.  
  
Pissed with faces brighter than a cooked lobster, the two brothers decided to call it a night by retiring early, tripping on each other as they left while attempting to keep the other from falling; Donnie counted Raph eating dirt five times. It was most likely an excuse to start their games and to have fun on their own with some privacy. Raph was always easier to get to take bottom when drunk and Leo both knew it and loved taking that opportunity when the apple fell from the tree.   
  
Not too long after, Mikey mischievously joined them, but not before giving Donnie a deep, churring kiss on the lips, embarrassing the turtle that his younger brother was being far too open unnecessarily.   
  
Nevertheless, Leatherhead didn't seem phased by the display, shrugging it off and pointing out he wasn't surprised for Mikey was simply being Mikey. Donnie then had to confess that was actually correct, further explaining to Leatherhead just how playful Mikey can get and that led to Leatherhead asking Donnie if he liked it or was just used to it. In response, Donnie shrugged, admitting he does sometimes and other times it just annoyed him more than not.   
  
Shyly he did admit; it depended on the situation and how he felt at the time.  
  
In truth, though he wouldn't tell Leatherhead in detail due to being discreet, Donnie had mixed feelings over it. He had no issues per se, but he wasn't ever in the mood for such connection and he'd always been like that.   
  
He just liked the cuddling and the normal contact in general, beyond that it didn't appeal to him or tickle his fancy as it used to when they were teens.   
  
Now being in their twenties, Donnie wasn't sure if he'd grown out of it or if the game had changed so much he wasn't on the same page as his brothers.  
  
Closing his eyes tightly, Donnie took in a big breath through his nostrils and exhaled through his mouth.   
  
"Good morning Donatello," Leatherhead greeted, exiting the camper and happily taking in the fresh air and morning dew.  
  
"Morning, did you sleep well Leatherhead?" Donnie asked. He headed towards the cabin, finding there was an alluring aroma drawing him to it.  
  
"I slept well, thank you. It's nice to have silence rather than Raphael’s snoring," Leatherhead admitted, now realizing all the horror stories of his snoring were not fictional, but truth.  
  
He now was at the point where he could almost believe Michelangelo's zombie apocalypse theory when involving Raphael’s snoring issues. Despite the absurdity, the thought of camping out beside any graveyards during the trip actually made him feel uncomfortable. However, he wouldn’t dare let on how he felt at any costs; that would be as bad as admitting that you’re insane and trying to prove it. Well, that wouldn't actually be the worst in his opinion; agreeing to any of Michelangelo’s fantasies was just plain wrong on all levels and one step into the abyss of no return.  
  
Chuckling over the fact that Leatherhead now understood first hand how annoying Raph’s involuntary sleeping habits could be, Donnie nodded, "That was one of many bonuses in sleeping in the camper rather than the cabin."  
  
"Agreed."  
  
Opening the door, the sweet smell of pancakes rushed out to meet both reptiles' nostrils, making their mouths water.  
  
"I take it that Michelangelo has already started on breakfast?" Leatherhead asked, moaning over the aroma as his stomach demanded to be fed. In the corner of his eye, he witnessed the smile on Donatello’s lips, who was all but laughing over his reaction to Mikey’s cooking.  
  
"It appears so... We should grab a plate before the good batches are snatched up by either Leo or Raph," Donnie replied over his shoulder as he rushed in, followed by Leatherhead close behind.  
  
Entering the kitchen, they saw Mikey standing there wearing his ‘kiss the cook’ apron and playing his iPod with the tunes he loved. The turtle, in his own little world, was singing to the songs, busting his shell while whipping up pancakes that were spiced with berries.  
  
"Morning Mikey," Donnie called, then nudged at Leatherhead with his elbow, pointing to a nice stack of pancakes that had their names all over them. Well they would, in a matter of seconds that is.  
  
Peering over his shoulder, Mikey smiled brightly, "Morning dudes, you guys can have that batch, Raph and Leo aren’t up just yet. Let’s just say they got to bed very late," Mikey smirked, hinting at what they were doing.  
  
"Of course they did." Donnie rolled his eyes, yet was happy they weren't up, leaving the best for them.  
  
Taking some and leaving the rest for Leatherhead, Donnie grabbed a seat, drowning his pancakes with syrup.  
  
"Do you want any pancakes with that syrup?" Leatherhead asked, dumbfounded that Donnie ate them with so much on them.  
  
"Nope, there isn't enough syrup to satisfy the ones I have," Donnie mocked playfully, then turned red in the middle of that comment.  
  
"I see do you want some of mine? I can eat them as is." Leatherhead barked a laugh seeing Donnie turn even redder.  
  
In the corner of his eye, Leatherhead could see a smile brighter than the norm on Mikey's lips and his eyes sparkling with joy. It was like something about this conversation between him and Donnie was filling him up with glee?   
  
Was it the fact Donnie wasn't acting moody and seemed generally happy?  
  
"So bro and LH, when are you two heading out?" Mikey asked, placing another plate of pancakes down.  
  
"After we've had breakfast and packed some provisions we'll be needing for the trip," Donnie started, before being interrupted by Mikey.  
  
"I already packed a lunch for the both of you and filled up your water bottles, so you don't have to worry about that part," Mikey informed Donnie, smiling all the way.  
  
Surprised that Mikey did that, Donnie weakly smiled back, "Thanks Mikey… you didn't have to do that."  
  
"Yes I did," Mikey pointed out, then placed his focus onto Leatherhead, "Besides LH, do you really want Donnie-boy here being the one to handle your lunch? It's like asking him to cook dinner."  
  
Not pleased by the statement, Donnie frowned, "I'm not that bad!"  
  
Coughing slowly, Leatherhead gently replied to Michelangelo, trying not to hurt Donatello’s feelings, "Thank you, Michelangelo."  
  
"Thanks..." Donnie rolled his eyes, getting up from his seat, "Well then…I guess I will start packing the bag. At least I can't mess that up!"  
  
Flashing concerned looks at each other, Leatherhead and Mikey fell silent as the purple clad turtle stomped away. Blinking at his body language, Leatherhead bit his lip, examining the situation; Donatello had just became moody when he normally didn't on the subject of food preparation.   
  
"Did I do something wrong?" Mikey finally asked, feeling guilty by wanting to help out.  
  
Shaking his head, Leatherhead sighed, "No, I think he was looking forward to doing it himself but how were you to know that? I didn't even know."  
  
"Oh okay... Should I chuck this lunch then?"  
  
"No, that would only make this worse; he would just take that the wrong way. How about you let him know what you put into it and ask if there was anything you missed?” Leatherhead suggested.  
  
“Sure, but how does that help?”  
  
“Simple, it tells him you value his opinion. State something along the lines about us hiking and ask if you have packed the necessary foods that will sustain us during the hike. In your own words, of course.”  
  
Nodding, Mikey smiled, “I can do that dude, and make it look like I'm asking this since I’m worried I didn’t get everything.”  
  
“That sounds good. This way, if there is anything he wants to add, he will, or let you do it for him. Either way he will feel like he had some control on what lunch will be…” Leatherhead explained, though he didn’t understand why Donatello felt he needed to have control over what was going into the lunch; it wasn’t like Michelangelo was incompetent in packing a suitable meal. Was something else bothering him?  
  


* * *

  
  
"Do we have everything?" Leatherhead asked, coming up to the contemplating turtle.  
  
Donnie held his hand up in the air to temporarily halt any more distractions and he took another look, checking every item, including some extras that weren't necessary, but were for emergencies. Finally checking over his list for the fourth time, he felt confident with the organization of his pack.   
  
"I believe it’s all here... Leatherhead can you see anything that I missed?"  
  
Shaking his head, the alligator shrugged, "I can't see anything that would be a necessity. Not saying that I would know entirely, as I have never been hiking before."  
  
"Well, you will enjoy this then!" Donnie beamed, tossing the pack over his shoulder, before becoming a sour puss when he dared to look up to see the commotion taking place.  
  
"Raph! Don't stick that there! Who buys a penis shape soap _anyway?_ " Leo's voice screeched through the closed bathroom door.  
  
On cue, Mikey rushed by, holding the video camera prepped and ready, "Shit, they entered the bathroom before I was ready!"  
  
"Mikey?" Donnie dared to ask, only to have his little brother run past him, dashing up the stairs and throwing his voice over his shoulder.  
  
"No time Donnie-boy, I've been waiting for this moment for weeks!"   
  
Exchanging looks, the alligator and turtle sighed, making a quick escape out of the cottage before this escalated to something neither wanted to know about.  
  
Once surrounded by the tall, healthy trees, serenity came to them at last, as they left the 'American Pie' wannabe plot behind them.   
  
"Do I want to ask?" Leatherhead finally spoke up, following closely behind Donnie who lead the way down the well beaten path.  
  
Shooting a look towards the cabin, Donnie could only imagine what was going down. He sighed, placing his face in the palm of his hand, "Not really. Let's just say I would put my money on this being one of Mikey's exotic pranks."  
  
"Exotic pranks?"  
  
Biting his lip, Donnie shrugged, letting out a nervous laugh, "You heard right. Mikey's pranks aren’t always so innocent all the time and can be right down in the gutter."   
  
"I see... I mean, I can..." Leatherhead stuttered, trying to get past the disturbing mental image with the soap which popped into his head a moment ago. Clearing his throat, Leatherhead quickly changed the subject to stop his imagination from exploring the gutter as it so badly wanted to, "Wow look at that, Donatello."  
  
It being obvious that the subject was a bit too much for Leatherhead to handle, Donnie let the event slip back into the shadows, directing his attention towards what Leatherhead was pointing at.  
  
Down the hill through a good two hours of bush, a sparkle of light could be seen. It was too far away to tell for sure, but its shimmering gave them both the impression that there might be some water down there.  
  
"I see it, so Leatherhead do you want to head there, then take a break before say, heading west to those hills to have our lunch?" Donnie asked, mentally mapping out their journey.  
  
The vantage point was perfect to get a rough idea of what the landscape had to offer, though it wasn't as accurate as them using a map. However, this was a lot of fun not knowing one hundred percent what was to come.  
  
A hum came from the alligator and then he smiled, giving a quick nod, "That seems like a good plan. If there is water we can cool down before hiking up those hills. Hopefully by then, the wind will meet us, keeping us cool."  
  
"I was thinking the same thing, though…" Donnie put his hand out feeling the slight breeze, noticing there was a chill to it, "I wonder if it will get any warmer than this. I thought this time of year it would hit the mid thirties. I guess I was wrong."   
  
Coming up to Donnie and feeling the light wind for himself, Leatherhead had to agree, "I wonder that as well. It’s still early Donatello and it might warm up still. Even if it doesn't, it is quite a suitable temperature either way."  
  
"Yes, you’re right. Then shall we?" Donnie stretched his arms out as an invitation to the alligator.  
  
"We shall."

* * *

  
  
The untamed thick bushes that had no trail, since that ended long ago, didn’t discourage the reptiles from treading through the wilderness happily.  
  
As they figured, upon reaching their destination they found they were in luck, and the two friends cast their gaze across the crystal blue water.  
  
“It’s a pond all right, and it's so clear.” Amazed, Donnie came up to the water and dipped his toe in, loving the sensation it gave him.  
  
Plopping his arse down on the soft green grass without hesitation, Donnie soaked his feet in the water, accompanied by Leatherhead moments later..  
  
“This is wonderful,” Donnie whispered to himself, laying back and staring at the blue sky, watching as the clouds floated by.  
  
The whisper, not distorted or muffled, was loud enough to put a smile on Leatherhead’s face as he watched his friend’s body relax. The water seemed to be washing all his worries away, leaving him in a state of harmony that Leatherhead was used to seeing him in. The depressed and easy to anger Donatello was a sore sight to witness. This calm and peaceful turtle was who his friend was in truth.  
  
“I would agree Donatello. Strawberry?” Leatherhead first agreed, then offered Donatello some fruit from a container.  
  
“Sure, this would be a good snack,” Donnie replied, taking one and then staring at it like he was thinking again.  
  
“Is there something wrong?” Leatherhead asked.  
  
Snapping out of his train of thought, Donnie sat up, letting out that sigh, “No.”  
  
“You say no, yet your voice and body language says otherwise.”  
  
Donnie resorted to silence and playing with the strawberry, so Leatherhead took it upon himself to bring up the thing he knew had been on Donatello’s mind for some time.  
  
“May I ask, does this have anything to do with the kiss Michelangelo gave you yesterday and how he put together the lunch?”  
  
Biting his lip, Donnie flashed a look at him, perplexed, “How do you get that from me playing with a strawberry?”  
  
Laughing over how struck Donatello was on this, Leatherhead held his sides, “It wasn’t from the berry, it’s from how you’ve been acting all morning.”  
  
Grumpily mumbling, Donnie felt like an idiot, “It’s that noticeable?”  
  
“Unfortunately, yes my friend, it is.”  
  
Popping the berry in his mouth, Donnie chewed before opening up, “Will you keep this between us?”  
  
“You are my friend Donatello, of course I would keep this between us,” he assured the worried turtle.  
  
Nodding slowly, Donnie closed his eyes, “I’m confused.”  
  
“In what regards?”  
  
Playing with his thumbs next, the anxiety was rolling off of Donnie, “I want them, but at the same time, when it happens... even a simple kiss that should have some impact… it… it just feels like a kiss, not ‘A’ kiss… The ones that make the butterflies in your stomach go wild with excitement.”  
  
“I see… this is how you feel when you’re with your brothers when you’re not acting like brothers…” Leatherhead started, before becoming tongue tied seeing Donatello's sudden chuckle at his poor attempt to show understanding.  
  
“Yeah,” Donnie lost that spark of joy, going gloomy again, “When we were younger, we used to do so many things. Things I will not go into details about, but what I can say is, I felt so alive. My body was on fire, so energized by a simple touch or gesture…”  
  
“Then the older you became, that contact no longer had the same sensation?” Leatherhead asked, trying to understand.  
  
“Yes, all that was, is now gone. I have been approached by both Casey and April to see if they could spark the flames again and nothing came out of it. I felt empty inside, unsatisfied. Sure, I had an erection and an orgasm….”  
  
Catching himself, Donnie became nervous and flashed a look at his friend, red in the face.  
  
He couldn’t believe he just said that without thought.   
  
Yet to his surprise, the alligator wasn’t bothered in the slightest nor did he seem awkward by the comment, content to simply listen to him; something that he wasn’t used to. No one in his family was willing to truly listen and if they actually did, they tried to convince him this could be simply fixed by some way or another.  
  
“Go on,” Leatherhead said, nudging Donatello to get it all out of his system. Regardless that this kind of topic wasn’t the norm for him, he could see how badly Donatello needed to talk, so he pushed any awkward feelings he had to the side; after all, this was not about him but about his friend.  
  
“Well, as you can see, this puts me in a difficult position. I don’t know what I want anymore. I wonder if… if there's something wrong with me? It's not like there are many choices in my kind of life to find someone that will make me feel whole again...”  
  
Placing a supportive hand on his friend’s shoulder, the alligator looked into those chocolate eyes, “Donatello, there is nothing wrong with you. So your brothers don’t satisfy your needs anymore. It could very well be that you’re looking for more than they can offer?”  
  
“If that is true,” Donnie stood up quickly, becoming frustrated, “then what? Do I end up alone and miserable as they continue to be fulfilled by each other's desires and _lust?_ ”  
  
With a raised hand, Leatherhead was going to comment only to be stopped abruptly.  
  
"Don't!" Donnie suddenly snapped, eyeing Leatherhead dangerously, his stare full of emotions, mainly jealousy.  
  
Witnessing the brooding storm over the turtle’s head, the conflicted reptile bit his lip, thinking about the best way to handle his stressed friend.   
  
There was more to this than he originally thought or that Leonardo informed him of; Leatherhead couldn't even be sure whether Leonardo knew there was more or not.   
  
To think he was being just as blind as Donatello's brothers in thinking this was a simple layer of issues.  
  
There were many layers to this and the core issue was deeper, to the point he had to think this over.   
  
What was really eating the turtle? Was this the root to his mood swings? If left unchecked, Leatherhead could see many terrible events that could unfold.   
  
Was Donatello lonely?  
  
Worse, did he see himself as one with no self worth?   
  
Was he jealous that his brothers were content with each other’s company, meaning he was doomed to be cast to the side alone and unloved?   
  
Was he searching for something and unfortunately hadn’t found it yet, so was now starting to give up?  
  
It was hard to think that someone with a smile that made you feel warm inside and a kindness to his eyes which made you feel safe, could even be capable of drowning in such dark feelings.   
  
The worst thing was, he didn't realize he was in over his head when he agreed to help his friend when Leo approached him.   
  
He wasn't remotely qualified to be such a shrink, and neither had he ever experienced such feelings to use to aid his friend.  Not that he ever really gave it much thought before. He was just thankful to have his friends and his intelligence and not simply be some wild animal.   
  
Sure, there was more to life that he yet had the pleasure to explore, even so he was simple. His motto was one step at a time and he was happy with it. However, such a philosophy to life wouldn't work on the turtle.  
  
"Donatello, why don't we calm down and finish this snack," Leatherhead coolly suggested.   
  
If he avoided the underlying issue for now, it might allow Donatello to collect himself before he did something rash. He was becoming too unstable and unpredictable to foresee his future actions.  
  
That was the plan he was thinking would be the wisest path, however it only proved to backfire when in a rage, Donatello threw his arms down to his side and stalked away towards the hills they were to travel to next.  
  
Feeling a trickle of sweat dripping down his brow, Leatherhead let out a long sigh and packed all the stuff up.   
  
Watching Donatello walking away, he didn't bother calling out or stopping him, instead letting the turtle burn out his frustration.   
  
It was the best solution for now and Leatherhead would attempt to talk to him later when he was willing and ready. Forcing Donatello to open up would be destructive and only result in the turtle retreating into his shell all the more.   
  
Not only that, but it would hurt Donatello more in the long run if he lashed out at Leatherhead in a manner he has never done before.   
  
So unwilling to take that chance, Leatherhead kept his distance, focusing instead on the scent in the air and determining his course of action from that. 

* * *

  
TBC


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going on their family vacation, Donnie takes the initiative to invite his old friend Leatherhead this year. Little does the alligator know what kind of trip this is going to turn out, nor does Donnie at that. What seemed to be a getaway into the woods, turn south quickly, as many unforeseen elements are at play.
> 
> This is a Leatherhead X Donnie story, written for Momorawrr.
> 
> Disclaimer: TMNT isn’t mine and this is just a fan fiction writing. No money is being made on this story.  
> (TMNT CC are AU based on 2003 version, the turtles are in their middle 20s and LH is 30)  
> Warning (Rated: M) T-cest, sexual themes, and some disturbing content later on.  
> Please Don’t Read if you don’t like this stuff.
> 
> Also thank you zelgadis55 for correcting this story for me... So much purple blood??!

* * *

Donatello's footsteps were heavy, thudding against a dirt path full of rocks and leaving a dust cloud in his wake.  
  
If Leatherhead didn't know any better, he could have mistaken this as a tantrum, rather than of as a turtle on a mission.  
  
For what or to where was another question, leaving the alligator lost without words.  
  
The silence, was thick and heavy, making this a very awkward and unpleasant hike indeed.  
  
He kept his sighs within, instead following as if an obedient pup wondering what his master would do next.  
  
That was the other impression he had.  
  
There were others. Even so, he let them slide through the cracks so as not to linger on them too long.  
  
The loyal side of him wanted to continue his efforts by remaining as the shadow of the ninja, while the other side had become royally fed up with this childish demeanor.  
  
Leatherhead wanted so much to just grab him by the face and shake some sense into him.  
  
Donatello was allowed to be upset; however, this was going too far!  
  
How long were they going to continue this relentless climb that was meant to be a relaxing time to spend together, which instead turned into a mess of mixed emotions and fits?  
  
An hour passed with the sun steadily rising, and Leatherhead suddenly froze as he felt something cool and out of place touch the tip of his snout.  
  
Blinking at the white speck which almost instantly melted from his heat, he fixated on it, before calling out to his friend, "Donatello?"  
  
"WHAT?" Donnie snapped his head towards him. Then he let go of his anger as he came to the realization he was holding it too closely to his heart. What exactly got into him?  
  
Donnie cautiously watched his friend, noticing the alligator was acting oddly strange, and he started to wonder if it was his fault for being such an ass.  
  
This whole time Leatherhead was with him, and he hadn't acknowledged his presence. How was it he could be such a dick to his friend, and yet Leatherhead appeared so unfazed by his abrupt reply?  
  
"This." Leatherhead ignored the guilt that was plastered over Donatello's face, preferring to drop what had happened and move on.  
  
Letting out a questioning ‘Huh?’, Donnie glanced up, witnessing for himself what his friend was motioning towards.  
  
Tiny specks of white drifted down from the sky. The blue scenery was being invaded by ominous clouds that were sweeping by.  
  
Not far too behind them, the skyline wasn't a pleasant sight, with a thick darkness crawling towards them. Was there a storm coming? When did this happen?  
  
"Snow... This time of year?" Donnie finally spoke, catching a tiny ball that melted on contact.  
  
"It's spring,” Leatherhead answered as if that was enough of an explanation.  
  
"Still… I wouldn't have thought it would snow and by the looks of those clouds, there will be more," Donnie reluctantly observed, not fancying this. It was going to cut this outing short and force them to head back earlier than originally planned, even though their hike was already ruined by his immature attitude.  
  
"I agree. Donatello, is it me or has it become cooler? That wind is bitter," Leatherhead asked, not too pleased at seeing the white stuff so soon, considering it finally melted not too long ago.  
  
After another evaluation over the status of the sky, Donnie let out a disappointed sigh; it could be rain clouds or more snow, either way, it was safer to head back to the cabin. With the radio there, they could find out what is up and what the forecast would be like.  
  
Part of him kicked at himself for not being more prepared. He should have taken the initiative in checking before they ventured off and planned this better. Turning towards his friend to inform him they should backtrack to the cabin, Donnie heard a deafening sound that brought shivers to his spine.  
  
In a flash, the sound echoed off the trees, drilling into his eardrums as his body became numb by the horrifying familiar sound.  
  
With Leatherhead standing not even two feet away from him, Donnie, eyes wide, witnessed a flash as something hit the alligator's leg. Instantly, Leatherhead screamed in agony as his leg buckled beneath him.  
  
Blood splattered out of the area of impact and Donnie caught the tail end of something exiting the other side, hitting the dirt ground. Rushing forward, he wished he was seeing things, yet the blood lingered in the air, proving this was really happening.  
  
Someone shot Leatherhead, and his condition was unclear.  
  
Leatherhead, reacting as usual when attacked, growled up a storm, and his eyes slit dangerously.  
  
Knowing that this normally happened, Donnie ignored the instinctive side of the beast within his friend which was trying to rear its ugly head.  
  
He had to treat Leatherhead as quickly as possible, with no fear for his life. One sign of doubt would unleash the thing within the alligator that would overpower him, making him more animal than intelligent being.  
  
Quickly getting to work, the turtle removed his bandana as he glanced around at the landscape, finding himself unable to see a thing or the person that could be behind this.  
  
Tightening his lip and still ignoring the warning growls from Leatherhead, he gently wrapped the wound. To his relief, it was only one bullet hole, not multiple. What he saw before must have been the bullet exiting him; hopefully, it did so fully and didn’t shatter within the leg.  
  
With the growing animosity towards him, Donnie grabbed the alligator’s face quickly before tightening his bandana and staring into his frightened friend’s eyes. Eyes which were telegraphing how fast he was losing himself.  
  
"Don't worry, everything will be fine," Donnie said softly, with much kindness in his eyes. Then he flashed another look in the direction the gun was fired, not hearing a sound.  
  
Even the forest was silent; no bird dared to break it.  
  
Coming back to his senses, Leatherhead nodded. He swallowed the pain, a bit confused on how this came to be. Were there hunters? Or some hiker who saw them and in their fear targeted him?  
  
The bushes rattled up ahead and Donnie could distinctively make out at least two people coming towards them. If both had guns, it was certain they would shoot again without question.  
  
Lowering his voice, Donnie leaned towards Leatherhead, "We need to leave, but we can't head back yet. I refuse to lead them to my brothers."  
  
"I... agree... Donatello, don't worry, I can still walk," Leatherhead stuttered over the pain, forcing it to the back of his mind and getting up with help from the ninja.  
  
This time, hearing the warning click, Donnie snatched Leatherhead’s arm and jerked him forward as the bang blasted from the other direction. The bullets didn't hit their target this time around, but the dust flying was too close for comfort. Now, though, there was not a shadow of a doubt they were hunting them. This wasn’t just some hiker protecting themselves, thinking they were in jeopardy.  
  
Without warning, he heard an odd, small thump, and Donnie investigated to see what would make that sound. He quickly looked behind Leatherhead, seeing the bag that had been over the alligator’s shoulder now fallen to the ground, and his shoulder now bleeding.  
  
It was a graze and the bag had taken the brunt of the hit, making Donnie fear the reality.  
  
There were two guns in different directions pointed at them, and they were aiming to kill.  
  
Rushing for the bag and pushing Leatherhead forward to get him running, Donnie suddenly flew backward, inches away from having a bullet in his own neck, only being saved by Leatherhead grabbing the scruff of his shell.  
  
"Leave it! We need to get out of here!" Leatherhead growled, running with Donatello thrown over his shoulder as if being carried like some doll.  
  
Donnie couldn't believe it! He wasn't the one injured, and yet he was the one being carried?  
  
Protesting this embarrassing treatment and yelling over his shoulder, he demanded Leatherhead to put him down, then squeaked in shock as he felt his tail abruptly pulled.  
  
His face flickering red over the unforeseen demonstration to force him to be quiet, Donnie fell silent. Had Leatherhead really just touched his tail? Not that it was hard for him to do so, considering how his ass was facing the alligator’s face and he was facing his back.  
  
Moments later, the heat was steaming off Leatherhead and his sweat pouring down his body. His scent, mixing into Donnie's own, sent tingles to his tail.  
  
Donnie finally found himself being let down, his exhausted friend collapsing in front of him.  
  
"Leatherhead, you don't look so well," Donnie pointed out far more calmly than he truly felt. He studied the alligator’s leg which was still weakly bleeding out of the makeshift bandage.  
  
The other factor that made him wary was that the weather made a turn for the worse; it was getting darker and colder by the second.  
  
The snow persisted to fall, becoming heavier by the minute. To his fears, Donnie got the sickening sensation that there was a snow storm coming, and here they were, out there with their tails between their legs.  
  
"I will be fine, are you injured?" Leatherhead kindly asked, making Donnie the priority rather than him.  
  
Shaking his head, Donnie sighed, "I'm fine, Leatherhead, but we need to head back...."  
  
A rustle from behind alerted the two and Donnie jumped to his feet, hearing the echo of more than one person following their trail.  
  
"Hey, the monsters went this way!"  one husky voice yelled out. He was answered by another which sounded more like begging, muffled in the steadily increasing wind.  
  
Whispering so as not to give their location away, Donnie became bleak, "We don't know how many there are and heading back will risk in running into a group... Shell… we don't have a shell cell... it was in the pack..."  
  
Donnie had everything within that pack. Not a single item for survival of any sort was in the only pocket he bothered attaching to his belt. All he had on his person was a flashlight, which was useless at the moment, a few pieces of wrapped gum that he pretended not to see Mikey slip in, and a compass. The compass would come in handy for going home, but right now wasn't necessary.  
     
Placing a comforting hand on Donnie's shoulder, Leatherhead smiled as sweetly as he could through the pain, "Do not worry. Like you told me when I started to lose control, we will be fine. Let’s keep moving forward. If this is a storm that is brewing, it might discourage them from this disgusting hunt and we will be able to backtrack once that has happened."  
  
"Sounds like a plan... but your leg?" Donnie asked, looking at it again with a troubled look in his eyes.  
  
"That is the least of our misfortunes. Now, let's go; they are getting closer." Leatherhead stood up slouching over like the hunchback of Notre Dame. His full height would be too noticeable, though he was grateful to be green, blending in with the trees surrounding them.  
  
This was in fact, one reason he believed the huntsmen hadn't found them yet; they were not in an opening like before and this gave them the advantage.  
  
Sticking close to his friend, Donnie didn't leave Leatherhead's side as they made their way forward, all while trying not to leave too many clues behind where they were heading.  
  
One good thing about being a ninja was knowing how to cover up your tracks.  
  
Two sets of tracks were a bit difficult to cover up he had to confess, especially since Leatherhead wasn't of light foot and he hit many low branches with his tail; however, Donnie did the best he could.  
  
With the sounds of the predators finally dwindling down behind them, Donnie kept an eye on two main things.  
  
Who was hunting them and the weather; the wind was howling and hitting them with hard pellets of snow which rained down on them with no remorse, beating heavily against their bodies.  
  
The weather was getting harsher, and he wondered if it was best to head back yet.  
  
Hearing a startled yelp, Donnie jumped, losing his balance and falling backward after feeling something hard under his foot.  
  
The alligator who unexpectedly let out the howl flashed a look at Donnie in anger.  
  
"That was my tail," the alligator lashed out. The tail, where he evidently stepped on, had turned red  and painful looking.  
  
"Sorry Leatherhead, I didn't mean to," Donnie apologized sincerely, seeing the alligator collect himself.  
  
"No, I should apologize, I didn't mean to snap at you," Leatherhead said weakly. It was obvious the fatigue was setting in, with how drained he appeared to be. He really needed to rest, yet they were not in the position or area to do so.  
  
Shaking his head, Donnie stood up, brushing himself off, "It's okay, you have your reasons. However, we can't keep this up Leatherhead, we need to seek shelter. This storm is not dying down and only worsening. I think the hunters are gone... But who’s to say they are not waiting around the area you got shot... Besides, you will never make it back in your condition."  
  
Letting out a moan, Leatherhead agreed, and Donnie continued, "If I climb this tree, I should get a better view of the landscape. Who knows, I might see something that could help."  
  
"Are you sure you should? Some of that snow is starting to ice over the branches," Leatherhead said warily.  
  
"It should be fine." As Donnie started to climb up, he noticed the storm signs were far more alarming than he thought, only seeing utter darkness through the tree lines as he ascended.  
  
One branch at a time, Donnie watched his footing, carefully feeling the rough bark under them. Luckily none of them were slippery in the least, making his climb successful.  
  
That was until he reached the latest branch that he thought was safe. He quickly turned pale, feeling that same branch bowing from his weight.  
  
With a sharp snap, the ninja lost his grip altogether, plummeting down as he yelped out his stupidity. What was he thinking? If he injured himself too, they were both up shit creek without a paddle, as Raph would elegantly put it.  
  
A thud coming after, Donnie assumed the worst. Thankfully, he felt something firm and soft textured under him, holding his legs and supporting his shell. Looking up, Donnie's eyes came in contact with the not so pleased alligator’s bright yellow ones as he raised an eyebrow, giving that 'told you so' look towards the foolish turtle.  
  
Chuckling nervously, Donnie turned red, "I guess the branches are too slippery and weak to do something like that?"  
  
"Really?" Leatherhead rolled his eyes, sitting down with Donatello in his lap.  
  
"Well... this is embarrassing." Donnie smacked his lips together, unsure what he should do next.  
  
"I can see that you are trying my friend... but…are we done with these stunts and can we do this properly without the risk of injury?" Leatherhead asked, wondering what other bright ideas Donatello was going to attempt. He'd heard stories from Michelangelo on how Donatello becomes when he gets an idea, and how some fail badly, resulting in him getting hurt or endangering himself.  
  
Those moments usually happen when Leonardo wasn't around to stop him. Heck, even Raphael would stop the genius from risking himself.  
  
"Yes... Let’s keep advancing then and keep an eye out for some kind of shelter. Who knows, there might be an abandoned shack if we are lucky?"  
  
"There might very well be," Leatherhead agreed, feeling that was the best hope as he waited for Donatello to get up.  
  
Oddly, once he did, Leatherhead wished Donatello didn't remove himself quite so soon.  
  
Why would he feel like that?  


* * *

  
  
"There is a storm warning for the surrounding areas," the radio boomed. Leo reared up immediately from where he was on the couch, pushing Raph to the side, who was trying to go to town on him.  
  
"Leo, what are you doing? I'm about..." Raph huffed slamming the turtle back down, who resorted to taking actions of his own and pitching Raph off him. After being freed of the younger brother's hold, he walked away, turning up the radio that Mikey had left on for music.  
  
Their kid brother was upstairs taking a shower to prep himself.  
  
"Hurricane Tomas  is pushing..."  
  
Raph, suddenly by Leo's side, shut off the radio, annoyed that Leo just tossed him to the side when he was the middle of business. Showing he was the alpha at the moment, Raph clutched Leo's arms with an iron grip as he violently thrust the turtle against the wooden wall, entering again to finish the job.  
  
Becoming overly irritated that Raph wasn't taking this seriously and thinking only about his endless hunger, Leo attempted to push him off again, smelling Raph hitting his limits as he let out a string of animalistic grunts and churrs.  
  
Seeing the turtle become weak from this action, Leo took this as his opportunity to push himself off the wall and turn the radio back on, even as Raph wrapped his arms around Leo for support.  
  
"… bringing a low front. The expected snowfall in the region is estimated to be one hundred to one hundred and thirty centimeters, continuing throughout the night and ending the next afternoon with an additional forty centimeters. We warn locals not to drive if you can help it, for the wind gusts are estimated to be in the range of up to seventy kilometres an hour or more. The blowing snow will make visibility poor. If you have to drive, please drive safely and make sure that your vehicle is packed with the proper items for unexpected delays on the roads."  
  
"There is a winter storm coming in spring?" Raph lazily asked, soaking up the scent of Leo's neck.  
  
"I believe so... and they aren't back yet," Leo worriedly pointed out, trying to reach a window and finding that difficult with Raph hanging onto him.  
  
Dragging the turtle with him, Leo finally made to the nearest window, feeling a sense of dread wash over him. It was completely white out and he couldn’t see a damn thing.  
  
"This isn't good," Raph finally snapped out of his bliss and let go of Leo.  
  
"No it isn't, Raph... Get the shell cell and try to contact them. I will start a fire before the cabin gets cold."  
  
"It's not that cold..." Raph started to protest, only to be interrupted by Mikey's yelping.  
  
"Dudes! Who turned down the heat, it's freezing," Mikey whined, as his teeth chattered. "See I have nipply-ons!" he stated seriously, letting go of the towel that was wrapped around his body in a teasing manner, as he revealed his nude body.  
  
He hadn't even dropped and there was nothing exciting to bear witness to. However, the kid brother played up to it, grabbing his chest in horror to cover himself.  
  
Rolling his eyes, Raph barked at the idiot, "For god sakes Mikey, you have no fucken nipples!"  
  
Raising an eye ridge in amusement over Raph's frustration, Leo shook his head, “See Raph, it is cold, and you’re just too horny to notice."  


* * *

  
TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going on their family vacation, Donnie takes the initiative to invite his old friend Leatherhead this year. Little does the alligator know what kind of trip this is going to turn out, nor does Donnie at that. What seemed to be a getaway into the woods, turn south quickly, as many unforeseen elements are at play.
> 
> This is a Leatherhead X Donnie story, written for Momorawrr.
> 
> Disclaimer: TMNT isn’t mine and this is just a fan fiction writing. No money is being made on this story.  
> (TMNT CC are AU based on 2003 version, the turtles are in their middle 20s and LH is 30)  
> Warning (Rated: M) T-cest, sexual themes, and some disturbing content later on.  
> Please Don’t Read if you don’t like this stuff.
> 
> Also thank you zelgadis55 for correcting this story for me... So much blood...
> 
> * * *

His chest became heavy from the burden of his wound and the surrounding environment, however, he kept his pace up, knowing he couldn’t afford to slow down. On top of that, Leatherhead refused to voice his complaints, nor did he allow his best friend to catch wind of his discomfort.  
  
The snow, thick sheets before their eyes, made visibility poor and at times they could barely make out their own hand in front of their faces in this weather.  
  
Even so, that didn’t distract them and they pressed on, to where… neither had a clue.  
  
It wasn't hard to get lost when all you can see was white and more white. Oh wait, there was one green thing...  
  
However, Donnie had mistaken it to be some vegetation, when in truth it was his own hand.  
  
In fear of separation, both stuck close together and Donnie could feel Leatherhead trying his hardest not to bump into him. Now and then, Donnie felt the sensation of something putting pressure on his shell and he too, as stubborn as the alligator, refused to voice any discomfort it brought upon him.  
  
How was his friend fairing?  
  
The growing fear that Leatherhead was going to collapse any time took root in the turtle.  
  
He needed to get them both to shelter before either froze to death or worse.  
  
Donnie minded his footing, wishing that he could see at least a bit more; he couldn’t even make out a tree until almost smacking into it.  
  
Then suddenly Donnie’s foot, which he swore he had planted firmly on the ground before his next step, slipped underneath him and he crashed hard to the ground shell first.  
  
Before he knew what was happening, to his horror, his body started sliding rapidly down what must have been a slope.  
  
In a panic, a screech escaped him and soon after he heard Leatherhead not too far behind.  
  
The snow plowed into him, exploding into the air around him as he felt the speed of his descent increasing.  
  
Still unable to see what’s to come, Donnie prayed there were no obstacles such as low bushes or mighty trees in the way that could kill him with the alarming speed he was travelling at.  
  
Just as suddenly as the hellish, cold ride began, it ended quickly when his body jerked as he reached the bottom.  
  
He slammed into a pile of snow that wasn’t as soft as he would have imagined it would be. Even so, it did stop him as he became relieved by his turtle luck. Still, that was only the icing on the cake.  
  
Once he had his breath back, intending to see what became of Leatherhead since all he could hear was silence, Donnie found himself slammed into by a larger figure, who quickly pinned him to the ground.  
  
Unable to either breathe or move, he gasped for air, letting out a wheezy faint cry for help, or was he trying to ask Leatherhead to get off of him?  
  
The reply was delayed for a few minutes as the alligator collected his bearings, feeling not just his wound taking so much out of him but also the cold. Finally, he rolled over allowing Donnie to breathe once more.  
  
Donnie strained out a groan, swearing he now knew what a pancake felt like.  
  
"We need to get out of this storm," Donnie's teeth chattered, pointing out the obvious; neither so far had come up with a solution for the matter.  
  
"Donatello," Leatherhead started, only to be interrupted by the turtle.  
  
"The temperature is dropping and I don't know how long we are going to last out--"  
  
"Donatello!" Leatherhead attempted again.  
  
"With your leg as it is, we need you off it and bandage right and--"  
  
"DONNIE!" Leatherhead resorted to his nickname, catching the turtle’s attention quickly.  
  
Donnie, still not accustomed to being addressed as such from Leatherhead, felt the butterflies in his stomach flutter.  
  
Leatherhead's arm pointed ahead. Donnie's gaze followed the arm to see what his friend was trying so desperately to get him to look at.  
  
"Well... that works!" Donnie blinked at their luck, seeing the building before them that appeared to be vacant from the outside.  
  
Now was it, which was another question, but right now they needed to get out of the wind and figure out the rest after they were safe.  
  
Moving towards the building to get a better view, Donnie realised it was some kind of warehouse.  
  
Finding a broken window, Donnie carefully opened it taking a peek inside the dark room before him.  
  
Though his eyes had a few issues adjusting to the dim light at first, he could soon see a lot of boxes inside, some of which were burnt. To his surprise, even the walls were damaged, showing how a fire tried to consume the building years ago. In the far corner was a door which might be very well locked from the inside, as far as he could tell.  
  
Leaning back and holding the window frame, Donnie looked over Leatherhead knowing that asking his friend to enter by the window would be stupid and dangerous, "The place seems to be abandoned by the looks of things. There is a door to the left on the other side of the building. I can enter here and go unlock it for you."  
  
Nodding, Leatherhead walked off towards the door as Donnie slipped inside, avoiding the broken glass. Heading towards the door, he stopped at one of the crates, examining it. It was burnt and the burned trail led to one of the shattered, warped windows on the other side. The fire must have come from outside first, then entered the building. Yet surprisingly, the building wasn't destroyed. He realized the blaze must have been put out before the flames could engulf the place.  
  
Hearing knocking, Donnie snapped out of his detective mode, rushing towards the door to let his friend in.  
  
Leatherhead waddled past him, entering the building and Donnie managed to get a glimpse of what was beyond the threshold since the wind decided to let him have a peek.  
  
He could see other buildings that appeared to be half burned and he thought some that were fully, unfortunately, the wind picked up, blowing a white wall across yet again.  
  
The alligator headed towards the centre of the room, away from the windows and blowing breeze that whisked in. Donnie shut the door to join him; he could have stood there all day figuring out what else was out there, but right now, he had other matters to take care of. For one, Leatherhead was pale and getting worse and he had to figure out a way to help him.  
  
"I'll start a fire," Donnie offered, going towards the crates and breaking the wooden planks for firewood. He noticed the boxes were full of computer parts that weren't of any use to them. The packing strips were paper, however, and would be a great starter. Still, he needed something to make a spark.  
  
Looking around and contemplating, he couldn’t see anything useful as he put his hand under his chin to aid his thinking process.  
  
“Donatello?” Leatherhead questioned weakly, making the turtle tilt his head at him worriedly.  
  
Placing a smile on his lips, Donnie hid the problem he was having, “Leatherhead, are you okay?”  
  
The alligator nodding, his eyes darted around before he shivered.  
  
The darkness was growing and only brought a dreadful despair with it.  
  
Donnie resorted to reaching into a pouch on his belt, happy he did at least have the small flashlight in there. Even so, he seriously had doubts on what good it was, other than for shedding some light; it wasn’t going to magically make a fire or reveal some secret solution he couldn’t see with his own two eyes.  
  
Taking it out anyway and holding his sigh in, he realised something else slipped out of the pouch and dropped to the ground. Donnie bent over, seeing the tin foil covered stick of gum that Mikey snuck into his pouch. As his fingers touched the foil it sparked an idea, his mind recalling viewing a video a while back.  
  
The YouTube video had intrigued him; it was on someone demonstrating on how to start a fire with only the foil of a stick of gum and a battery!  
  
With much excitement, Donnie got to work taking some of the paper that he needed from one of the crates to start the fire, along with dry wood for kindling.  
  
Now sitting on the ground, Leatherhead watched the turtle in amazement, a bit confused over how a stick of gum could bring this new hope in Donatello. That was until Donatello carefully started to rip a small strip of the tin foil, making each end large and narrowing it towards the centre, which in the end became thinner than the rest of the strip. As soon as he had it right to perfection, he placed one of the edges on the plus side of the battery, then made sure the middle part of the foil was close to the paper from the boxes.  
  
With the gum foil touching the paper, and he was sure it would work, he only had one chance at this, he then placed the other end to the minus, making a complete connection. Instantaneously the centre caught on fire and then the paper. Not wasting their only chance for a fire, Donnie focused on the flame which was growing, giving it enough air and fuel.  
  
"And we have fire!" Donnie cheered after he had a healthy flame with the kindling burning nicely enough to accept larger pieces without smothering it to death.  
  
Smiling at him, the alligator nodded in agreement, pleased his friend was able to figure something out and thankful he had the gum and flashlight at that.  
  
"That is good news; I was starting to get cold," Leatherhead said with a spark of hope. He then shuffled forward towards the warmth of the flames, which Donnie made bigger before finding some loose slabs of concrete to contain the fire in one spot.  
  
"We have enough wood to last the night if we must," Donnie said with a positive tone. Then he became wary of the thought of being there overnight.  
  
"That is a good thing--Donatello?" Leatherhead blurred out, then tilted his head. He watched Donatello pull his leg towards the light before he could protest and then the turtle unwrapped the bandage.  
  
As Donnie predicted during the chaos, it was only one shot, yet that still was dangerous.  
  
Leatherhead needed it cleaned and wrapped up properly. Sadly though, that wasn’t the only thing they needed; they also were in need of food and water.  
  
"I'm checking on how bad it is. It’s not bad… I should start getting more wood ready for the fire." Donnie rewrapped it up again avoiding his worry over Leatherhead’s leg. At least he could say it wasn’t infected but that could change anytime.  
  
Standing straight up, he stretched before wandering away from the fire, leaving Leatherhead to rest. He was on the hunt, checking each crate before breaking them up for the wood and in hopes he would find something useful.  
  
Unless Ethernet cords could be of some help, there wasn’t anything around.  
  
"We will be fine,” Leatherhead assured him, then raised his brow at what the turtle was now doing, “Donatello, what are you doing?"  
  
"We need supplies if we wish to survive the night.” Donnie started, avoiding those yellow eyes that were signalling he was being irrational again.  
  
Taking a breath, Donnie held his ground and used his knowledge for his defence, “What I was able to see when I let you in, made me believe this very well might be the abandoned town I read about, the one that was destroyed by a forest fire years ago. That town was a fair distance from the cabin. This was one of the main reasons I had chosen this place, for I knew for a fact, there would be fewer humans around. Even so, that means we are farther away from the cabin than I realized. How long had we been walking?" Donnie asked the question, more for himself. With the handful of Ethernet cords, he tied them together to make a stable lifeline.  
  
"I even lost time on how long it has been..." Leatherhead admitted and then flashed Donatello a disapproving look on what he was getting at, "I don't think that is a wise idea to venture out there. Who knows what awaits you and if you get lost..."  
  
"I will not get lost, besides, I memorized the layout of this town from my computer back home when I was thinking this would be a great location for you and I to explore for fun. I wasn't planning to come here until three days henceforth.  Besides, I will have this line tied around me to find my way back, don't fret," Donnie explained, confident with his photographic memory.  
  
Still not convinced, Leatherhead shook his head as he warmed his hands by the fire, "Even so, and I am in no way doubting your abilities, but it doesn’t mean that is a good idea."  
  
"Leatherhead we can't just survive with that fire alone. Neither of us is wearing clothes, and yes, we have four walls and a roof, but look at this place, there are too many areas that have a draft entering. We need something, anything to keep warm and I doubt Mikey's pancakes will sustain us for long with the other issues we are going to face." Donnie argued gently and then pointed to Leatherhead's leg, "We need something to clean and wrap that leg before it gets infected, so I'm going."  
  
Tying all the cords he could find together, it gave him a good length to work with. Rolling them up to loop over his shoulder, Donnie tied one end to a pole near the door and the other end around his waist.  
  
"Is there anything I could say that would make you change your mind?" Leatherhead pleaded, feeling helpless.  
  
"Nope, keep the fire going, I will be back," Donnie headed out, having his face plastered by snow as he forced the door shut behind him.  
  
Once outside and with the comforting knowledge that Leatherhead was safe from the elements, Donnie looked onwards. Part of him regretted this decision, but circumstances insisted him to play this move.  


* * *

  
  
Treading through the thick, deep snow, Donnie kept one arm up to shield his face, allowing him to see what he could make out.  
  
Now, if he was right and the satellite images last taken from the area were correct, he should be downtown near the deserted stores which were believed to be such a lost cause as to not be worth coming back to.  
  
Luckily, he reached the area that he was aiming for, finding the buildings looming over him and shielding him from the howling wind. Though his vision was still not the clearest, he could make out the rough shapes and see the destruction the fire had left behind.  
  
Some were completely destroyed, while others were still standing untouched. Even so, he crossed his fingers; hoping one of the remaining buildings would be profitable somehow.  
  
Examining each one he passed, Donnie finally stopped his search, coming upon a building that seemed to be in a decent shape.  It appeared to be untouched by the elements as far he could tell and the old sign showed evidence it was once a convenience store or something on that line.  
  
Confident this would be the one to check out; he walked up to the entrance and ghosted his finger on the door before he entered.  
  
To his luck, he found himself in a clothing store.  
  
Not much was there. Even so, that didn’t discourage him; he might find something of use since people did leave the town in a hurry, leaving everything behind when the forest surrounding it went up in flames. They never bothered coming back.  
  
Untying the cord around himself, Donnie tied it to something inside the store, allowing him to look around without restrictions.  
  
Once free, he turned on his flashlight, peering within the darkness. Behind him, the wind blew with no mercy, allowing nothing but a blanket of white to be seen.  
  
Even with those hunters still on their trail, he didn’t worry about having the light on; like anyone would notice he was here when he couldn’t even see what was on the other side of the street.  
  
Taking a peek around through the aisles and shelves, he examined every nook and cranny. Unfortunately, all he found was stuff that was either spoiled by mould or burned.  
  
Frustrated, Donnie muttered under his breath, yet didn't give up.  
  
Going towards the front counter, Donnie searched through the drawer not finding anything beneficial, other than the keys for the back.  
  
"Well, let’s see where this will lead me." Donnie snatched up the keys and headed for the back of the store which did indeed have a door leading to the unknown.  
  
The door was solid with scorch marks that trailed up the ceiling and towards the inner store. Now he understood how the fire got in and was surprised the door and walls around it still stood.  
  
He reached for the door handle testing it first, feeling the dead cold steel; he found it was locked Trying his luck with the keys next; he breathed a sigh when the key slipped in with ease and turned without a struggle.  
  
Not daring to be in the line of fire if there was something horrible to come from the other side, Donnie stepped to the side as the rush of wind whipped past him.  
  
Letting out a groan, he could think of only one reason that happened as he peeked around the door to see the back burnt to the ground.  
  
"Well, that was useless,” Donnie walked through, seeing the burnt wood overhead and the white snow wall that could be seen through the huge hole where the wall used to be standing.  
  
"Shell... This was a waste of time… Huh?  Wait, what is this?" Donnie looked over seeing some of the wall to his right that was collapsed, allowing him to take a peek over towards one of the other shop’s back rooms that were ready for visitors.  
  
"Maybe I would have better luck in there?" As Donnie walked up, he couldn't contain the smile upon his face as he rushed in, then paused to think this through.  
  
There in the room waiting for the taking was a very large king sized blanket, supplies and even a med kit.  
  
It was one of those moments where you know, deep down, it's way too good to be true.  
  
It was ideal for what he needed and oddly missed placed for a ghost town.  
  
The more he stared at the goodies, the more the clawing feeling of fear rose inside him. He became wary and wondered if he was incorrect about this place being uninhabited by humans.  
  
Was someone staying here?  
  
The next question was, were they still around, if not did they get lost in the storm?  
  
Whoever was here could very well have rushed out to a safer location, to a nearby populated town, when seeing the weather taking a turn, leaving this all behind. Then again, what were the chances?  
  
Before he could figure it out, pain struck! The room began to spin and everything started to go black.  
  
His instincts kicked in. He touched his hand to the back of his head and his heart leaped into his throat when he felt something sticky and wet.  
  
He immediately flashed his hand towards his face in hopes of seeing what he felt was just melted snow. However, to his dismay, his hand was thickly painted with crimson.  
  
Turning his head to make sense of what was going on; Donnie only saw something blurry flash before him and then nothing more...  


* * *

  
  
The silence only made him restless as he stared at the flickering flames.  
  
He wondered how long it had been since Donatello left through those doors.  
  
It was nerve wracking not knowing what was going down, or whether or not the turtle was in any danger.  
  
Slowly rising to his feet, hissing at the pain in his leg, Leatherhead sluggishly moved towards the door, coming to the conclusion that he could resolve his nerves and see if Donatello was okay, by just doing one simple gesture.  
  
Leatherhead took the rope with a steady grip and opened the door.  
  
He first gave it a tug, not too hard, but not so light that Donatello might mistake it for the wind.  
  
After that, he waited for the turtle to signal back to show he was still okay. As he did, something inside started to swell with alarm.  
  
Still no response. He bit his lip; maybe he needed to try harder?  
  
He made another, more forceful, tug and waited.  
  
While he stood there staring at the rope, every awful and dreadful scenario flashed through his head.  
  
"What if he is in trouble? Or what if the line is snagged?" Letting out a sigh, unable to shake the negative thoughts that only chewed at his soul, Leatherhead collected his strength and taking a firm hold on the line, followed it.  
  
He couldn't risk just sitting there with the mere thought of Donatello in danger. Could he dare chance putting his friend’s life on the line just on the good faith that all was well?  
  
Donatello wouldn’t if he was the one facing this dilemma. Leatherhead knew that, so why should he?  
  
His anxiety rose to new heights as he took a few steps out of his warm shelter. Surely by now, Donatello would have noticed the line being tugged and would have pulled it back to see what was going on. Better yet, become worried that the line was snagged and started heading back.  
  
That wasn’t the case, however, and no matter how much he wanted to mistake the blowing wind as a sign there was life at the end of this line, he still couldn’t feel any response.  
  
Each step further brought despair that claimed him and he wanted to rush forward if only the snow wasn’t hindering him to a slow pace.  
  
The wind howled, booming into his eardrums. He did not give up even with a rising headache, amongst the other pains he felt. Ignoring it and the cold, Leatherhead took one step at a time, trying desperately not to lose his hold on the lifeline.  
  
After what seemed like hours but was probably only minutes, he found himself in front of a building. Then to his dismay, he noticed the end of the line was tied around a bar within the store.  
  
Why was Donatello here and how could he be so irresponsible to leave the line like this?  
  
About to call out to him, Leatherhead refrained from that action, becoming fearful when he swore he heard a muffled voice coming from the back that wasn't Donatello's.  
  
Seizing his breath and taking the extra precaution holding his tail up, he moved towards the voice, avoiding knocking anything to alarm the human.  
  
Reaching for a door that still had a key in its knob, he could hear the voice more clearly.  
  
"Boy, oh boy! What luck! The lord oh mighty must be looking over me to bring me such a feast!" a man's voice charmed, giving Leatherhead a sickening feeling in the pit of his gut.  
  
What was worse, the wind blew him a strong scent of blood and a scent that only could belong to Donatello!  
  
In a panic, he popped his head out and then looked to this right.  
  
To his horror, there was a man hovering over the still body of Donatello which was faced up and bleeding from his head. The greedy man rubbed his hands together, not hiding his hunger and joy over having the turtle there.  
  
"How do I cook you up? There is so much of you that you'll last me for weeks if I do this right," the man barked in joyful glee as Leatherhead's horror was consumed by a burning rage.  
  
Was this human really debating in cooking Donatello and had he really resorted to murder to do so!  
  
Charging forward and growling like a wild animal with eyes slit, targeting its prey, Leatherhead lost himself to the beastly side he had been trying so hard to control ever since Bishop captured and experimented on him years ago.  
  
The sight of Donatello's body and this human daring to think he could eat his friend was more than his mind could sanely handle.  
  
The human became startled by the sudden noise and darted a look in time to see the demonic beast charging at him, grabbing him by the neck to fling him away from the large turtle.  
  
Slamming into the wall, the human’s eyes widened in pure fear, bewildered to witness the monstrous alligator curl his tail around the turtle's body manner to protect it.  
  
"What demon are you?" the man wailed, scrambling to his feet and looking for something to protect himself or to make a run for his life.  
  
"YOU KILLED HIM," Leatherhead roared in rage over his pure disgust.  
  
"I...it..." the man trembled, pissing his pants in his fear.  
  
Revolted, Leatherhead ignored the fresh urine and moved forward, picking the man up into the air by the scruff of his neck.  
  
"I should kill you!" Leatherhead hissed, seeing the man was pleading for his life.  
  
"I didn't mean to... I... I..." the human spun a lie that Leatherhead could smell off of him, worse than anything he'd come across in the sewers.  
  
"Like hell, you didn’t want to hurt _**him!**_ _**You barbarian!**_ You wanted to cook and eat him! I heard you! You filthy human!" He tightened his grip, hearing the human gasp for air.  
  
"I...I..." the man choked out and started to leak with tears, pissing himself once again which made Leatherhead’s nose twitch. He became repulsed and couldn't stand the stench invading his nostrils any more.  
  
Feeling pity for this display, Leatherhead let go of the pathetic human, who in turn scrambled to his feet to flee for his life, only to forget part of the roofing that was collapsed and the metal rod sticking out.  
  
A wailing cry echoed in the air suddenly. Leatherhead snapped out of his rage just to witness the bar sticking out of the man’s chest and how he gurgled blood while he cried out his agony.  
  
Leatherhead blinked at the display for a moment as the swirling feeling took root.  
  
Part of him actually considered helping the man, then when he saw the bar through his chest, realized he would be dead soon either way. Deciding to ignore the pleas for help, he only gave the human the cold shoulder.  
  
Turning his back to the human who still begged for help, Leatherhead knelt down feeling the guilt wash over him as he placed a gentle hand on Donatello’s face.  
  
To his surprise, he could feel a warm breath escaping the turtle’s lips and a spark of hope rose within his very being. Donatello was still breathing!  
  
Leatherhead pushed his joy to the side, examining Donatello to great detail. What injuries did he sustain and was it safe to move him?  
  
As far he could tell, Donatello was hit twice in the head but other than him being unconscious, it didn’t look life threatening.  
  
Donatello had nasty bumps on both sides and the skin was split open a little, but it not as bad as it could have been.  
  
Luckily, his skull seemed not to be damaged, though his skin was a bit bruised.  
  
He had seen worse injuries in the past and if it wasn’t for the blood, he saw and the shock of this situation, he wouldn’t have jumped to the conclusion Donatello was dead.  
  
Other than that, he came to the verdict that he just got there in time since there was no evidence the man had done anything else to his friend.  
  
He let out a breath of relief before actually taking a glance around. For the first time, he became aware that the room had the supplies they needed and a medical kit.  
  
Opening the kit, he discovered it wasn't anything fancy, but it had some gauze and a few other things that would help.  
  
Taking the gauze out, he tended to Donatello's head first before his own leg. By the time he was done, he finally heard the human become still, drawing his last breath.  
  
"You will not be needing this stuff anymore," Leatherhead said coldly gathering the items, not believing this guy was worried about food when he had plenty of can food; was he really that bored of beans?  
  
Brushing the thoughts to the side, he got to work taking all the items and cleaning up his tracks; all he needed was someone finding this guy and have evidence he was there.  
  
He wanted to make it look like this man got scared of something, wet himself and then foolishly ran into the pole. Thankfully, half of that was true.  
  
Wrapping everything in the blanket, Leatherhead threw it over his shoulder, allowing him to gently pick up the injured turtle and cradle him in his arms.  
  
"Don’t worry Donnie, you will be all right. I promise I will not let another person lay a hand on you again."

* * *

 

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going on their family vacation, Donnie takes the initiative to invite his old friend Leatherhead this year. Little does the alligator know what kind of trip this is going to turn out, nor does Donnie at that. What seemed to be a getaway into the woods, turn south quickly, as many unforeseen elements are at play.
> 
> This is a Leatherhead X Donnie story, written for Momorawrr.
> 
> Disclaimer: TMNT isn’t mine and this is just a fan fiction writing. No money is being made on this story.  
> (TMNT CC are AU based on 2003 version, the turtles are in their middle 20s and LH is 30)  
> Warning (Rated: M) T-cest, sexual themes, and some disturbing content later on.  
> Please Don’t Read if you don’t like this stuff.

Image belongs to Momorawrr find the link here - <http://momorawrr.deviantart.com/art/Unforseen-Vacation-685455963>

* * *

Surrounded, his body floated within this suffocating darkness; an endless ocean of nothingness.

  
However, even then, as if a contradiction to his first belief, there was something, significant in many ways, that was small in comparison to what surrounded him.  
  
It played with his mind, as if it was some small form of hope deep down that he wasn't alone. He could swear there was a warmth wrapped around him that he recognized, yet couldn’t put his finger on. This warmth as subtle as it was, slowly faded to the back of his mind as the one true question rose replacing it with an unsettling cold.  
  
“Am I dead?” Donnie asked himself, regardless he was fully aware he was alone and no one would answer him. Even so, it didn’t hurt to try, hoping hearing his own voice would make this easier to accept.  
  
The looming silence other than his own breath wasn’t disturbed. Tightening his lips, waiting he finally gave up, as he wasn’t surprised there was nothing, predicting that would be the outcome to his question within this abyss.  
  
Still, he let out a sigh of disappointment, staring into the beyond, wondering was he looking up… or was it down... sideways?  
  
With no landmarks to determine what direction was what, he couldn’t even rely on gravity itself, since it appeared to be nonexistent in this plane of existence.  
  
Taking another shaky breath, he held it and then choked on it when some voices abruptly shatter the silence.  
  
“Look guys, it’s a handbag with claws!” Raph smirked.  
  
Followed by the sarcastic remark was Mikey, in a pleading voice, “Wait guys!”  
  
Donnie flashed a look over, seeing himself and his other two brothers, Leo and Raph leap forward in an all out attack on Leatherhead.  
  
“A memory?” Donnie questioned, watching this window that came from nowhere, playing his first encounter with his reptile friend.  
  
It has been so long ago this occurred that he actually forgot the details of their first meeting. Back then he even misunderstood the mutant seeing him as some threat towards his little brother.  
  
“I can’t believe at first, we truly believed that you were trying to hurt Mikey. Yet when I first met you I thought you were some wild mutant, savage and hostile… Was I ever so wrong and sadly I acted the one way I hated human’s resorting when it comes to me… judging me by my appearance…” Donnie sadly admitted, with a nervous chuckled to his shameful act, “However you were none of those things! Instead, this gentle, intelligent guy that knew how we felt when it comes to being judged.”  
  
Donnie rose up to a sitting position and then crossed his legs, as he rest his chin in his hand, “There was a lot about you I didn’t know at the time--”  
  
Suddenly, as if those words were some form of a password, his dark world was invaded by an explosion of colours.  
  
Thousands of memories cluttered around him, some of major events, while others that one would perceive to be insignificant.  
  
In awe, his jaw dropped, blinking at them all. The peculiar part of this wasn’t how many there were, it was that each one was an events of him and Leatherhead, dating back to the first encounter. There was even some he has forgotten, now reminded they were just as important then the rest.  
  
Though the beautiful displays bloomed with variety, there was one constant variable to them all, one thing he never took any notice until now.  
  
“I look so happy… Not once I was upset nor troubled. With the exception at the beginning, which that doesn’t count. Yet now, recently…”  
  
His hand shaking, he stood on his feet and reached up towards the one memory that was still new and fresh, the one at the bonfire the night before.  
  
The closer his finger tips were to that event, he unexpectedly choked up, feeling a sensation like no other spreading throughout his body, only to have it shaken off with the unbearable weight of a question that had to peek it’s ugly head for him to ponder on it.  
  
“Why did I invite him…” he whispered in a self denial, that prevented him to experience that feeling that would answer everything, yet to be clouded by a darker and crueller truth then it could have been.  
  
Donnie retreated his hand back quickly, clenching onto it with much doubt, as he blinked at it, disturbed to continue this train of thought. However against his own will, it had started and he had no choice to review it.  
  
“Why was I really upset that night when Mikey kissed me? Was it the way he did it… or…oh… or…” Holding his breath, he quivered on the answer that he somehow he knew, that came out without his permission, in order for him to hear it first hand so he couldn’t deny it any longer.  
  
“I was upset for he wasn’t jealous… I wanted.” Pausing Donnie’s lip trembled and he held his hand to his chest, “I wanted Leatherhead to be jealous of it… I oh why… I…”  
  
Falling to his knees, the turtle wanted to cry his heart out and scream his frustration and shame! “I like him! And he doesn’t have the same feelings for me… What kind of person am I, to secretly bring my best friend here to provoke jealousy, in order to see if he is, or bring out the possibility he could like me the same way!”    
  
Collapsing forward his head lay against the invisible floor as his tears puddle under him, “I can’t believe I did this to him! Regardless if it was a subconscious act, I'm still at fault. I still acted like some spoiled teenager thinking to get what they want was to be moody and hurt others!”  
  
The shame and guilt poisoning his body and soul, Donnie let his body limp were it was, as he floated once again, but this time he ignored the demanding memories that tried to cheer him up.  
  
All they did was proven how horrible of a person he was. All because of him, Leatherhead was shot, hunted down like an animal by hunters and now they are stuck in the middle of a snowstorm. If anything happens to his friend… he wouldn’t know what he would do.  
  
His selfishness cost him, no, this was harming Leatherhead more than him.  
  
Drowning in his self loathing, allowing to believe this was his punishment for his actions, to be taunted of the past, ones that proven he could be happy if he approached things the correct way, he gave up.  
  
The fatigue now setting in, he closed his eyes, welcoming the cold that was starting to set in.  
  
Then in the stillness, the world that was his tomb was falling apart by something beckoning beyond the darkness, beyond the memories, beyond what he didn’t know.  
  
He could tell it wasn’t a memory that was echoing and calling him to obey.  
  
The voice was dominant and warm, that whispered, yet it was louder than a drunk Raph on Karaoke night!  
  
“Donatello wake up! Don’t you dare die! Don’t leave me alone… please… WAKE UP DONATELLO!”  
  
His body shocked with pain and his world swirling out of control, Donnie managed to answer groggily, as his eyes slowly opened, straining against the sudden light that blurred his vision.  
  
Trying to sit up, a voice protested, “Donatello don’t move, you have been injured.”  
  
Donnie only allowed to move his head tilted it up as he blinked to clear his vision. Finally the friendly face of the alligator came to focus as confusion clouded his mind.  
  
Leatherhead was leaning over him, or was it, he was just looking down at him?  
  
Contemplating the angle, he came aware of the warmth that surrounded him like he was wearing a blanket. Part of that was true, the other part made him turn white in embarrassment, as he came aware he was lying across Leatherhead’s crossed legs with a blanket on top.  
  
Scrambling forward, unable to stay in the position, especially over the fact of what he discovered about himself, Donnie slurred his words in a panic, “I should get up!”  
  
Not even an inch forward Donnie swallowed hard, feeling the large gentle hand, stopping the rash action, as the alligator voiced his concerns, “Donatello you were just hit in the head twice. I think it would be wise that you remain where you are.”  
  
“But…” he began to complain, turning many shades of red over the mere thought of staying put and being so close to the friend in such a manner.  
  
However, he clamped his beak tight seeing those yellow eyes that proclaimed this wasn’t a suggestion nor was he playing games, instead this was an order that was nonnegotiable.  
  
Clearing his mind, that had so many excuses he could have spun, he wasn’t no fool to argue with the alligator when he was this determined.  
  
Trying his best to relax under the circumstances, his body resorted to being stiff as a board and his mind started to wander, trying to piece together how he got into this dilemma in the first place.  
  
He could feel the bandages wrapped around his forehead and what Leatherhead had mention about him hitting his head, he sadly couldn't figure out how this came to pass, or the last thing that happen when he left this shelter for supplies...  
  
Leatherhead bear witnessing the confusion first hand and understanding, calmly spoken up, “You’re still cold.”  
  
“Cold?” Donnie felt the slight chill on his skin, however the body heat from the friend and the blanket that was wrapped above him to contain the heat, was slowly curing that issue. So what happened, that thought crossed his mind.  
  
The alligator nodding, paused a moment before addressing the question and revealing the truth of what might have happened to his friend.  
  
“Yes. When I found you were frozen stiff and I had to resort to body temperature to rise your core without complications or doing it to quickly.”  
  
“What happened? I… my memory is a bit fuzzy,” Donnie admitted.  
  
“Well…” Leatherhead started out hesitantly, going into an explanation on how he went searching for him, over the fact he was gone too long and how he found him. When the story reached the human, Leatherhead trailed off, then wrapped up the story with bringing Donnie here and how he was trying to keep him warm.  
  
Noticing the hesitation when Leatherhead mentioned a human, and then skipping the explanation on where the human was at, Donnie raised his brow biting his lip unsure if he should pry, “What happened to the human.”  
  
Leatherhead turned his head away in shame, Donnie took a breath, knowing the answer but had to ask. “Did you?”  
  
Leatherhead’s lip trembling as he refused to make eye contact with Donnie, fearing the judgment that was to come for his answer, “Yes…”  
  
Pressing his lip tightly together, Donnie took another breath choosing his words wisely, he didn’t want to show he was judging or make the friend feel he thought any less of him, “Was it an accident?”  
  
Donnie didn’t continue not daring to ask if it was other then an accident, Leatherhead wasn’t a killer, but what Leatherhead had explained of the event, he could see his friend lose control that could have ended badly for the human that is.  
  
Leatherhead finally answered, yet in the way Donatello wasn’t suspecting, “Does it really matter? A man is dead and I was involved.”  
  
“We, were involved,” Donnie pointed out as the details of his side of the story started to come back to him.  
  
“Donatello, you were unconscious at the moment, how could this even remotely be your…”  
  
“For I was foolish enough to rush into a room full of suspicious supplies that I knew fully well they were out of place. However, I still went in there with my guard down… You said I was hit from behind right? Then my forehead?  He hit me from behind and then I turned towards him, allowing him to have another crack at me, when I should have moved away,” Donnie growled, feeling the frustration of Leatherhead not answering his question.  
  
“That does not make you an accomplice!”  
  
Struggling, Donnie slipped out of Leatherhead’s grip falling forward, landing on his hands, as Leatherhead jumped to his feet hissing over the pain in his leg.  
  
Donnie rose to his feet, finding himself beak to snout with Leatherhead, “Listen Leatherhead it’s a simple question did you kill the man or not?”  
  
“He was going to eat you Donatello!” Leatherhead growled, blowing hot air through his nostrils.  
  
Shock over the horror, Donnie's eyes widen in fear. The mere thought of someone wanted to eat him made him quiver and he felt light headed and nauseous.  
  
Who would be repulsive to want to eat him? He was humanoid, regardless he was a turtle he very much resembled a human in many ways, such as having a small amount of human DNA, making that alone very similar to cannibalism in his mind.  
  
Donnie overwhelmed, lost his footing, yet luckily Leatherhead was there instantly, catching him before he hit his head once again. Cradled in those large muscular arms, Donnie went silent as Leatherhead closed his eyes taking a breath, “I did at first tried to kill him since I thought you were dead, let alone on top of the fact he wanted to do to you… it made me so sick and disgusted of that so called human…. Even so, I couldn't bring myself to do such a deed... So I let him go and he… ran into a pole that went through his chest.”  
  
Peering up Donnie blinked in confusion, “Then you didn’t, so why are you acting like you did?”  
  
“For I let him die,” Leatherhead admitted shamefully once again sitting down with Donnie on top of his leg and pulling the blanket back on the turtle to keep him warm.  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
Sighing Leatherhead leaned to his side picking up a piece of wood and tossing it into the fire, “He begged me to help him and I refused to.”  
  
Donnie remained silent for a moment, pondered and then answered, “As you said he had it in the chest, he must have been bleeding out and his injuries were untreatable, am I correct?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Then you couldn’t have done anything if that was the case. It was obviously his fault, by his own stupidity, he walked into his own death. By no means does that make it your fault. So what I'm saying is, Leatherhead you did not kill him,” Donnie placed a supporting hand on Leatherhead’s arm, rubbing it gently.  
  
“I could have helped him or made him feel less alone when he died. Yet I was cold towards him and oddly… I don’t regret my actions, nor care he died…” Leatherhead said softly, showing he was guilty over not caring, then the deed itself.  
“Then you don’t care and forget about it, and don’t feel ashamed of what you needed to do.”  
  
Leatherhead a bit surprised at how heartless Donatello acted toward the man in his words, he had to know why, “How can you say that Donatello? This isn’t like you.”  
  
Sighing Donnie smiled sweetly, “I’m a ninja Leatherhead, I have… I have killed before, I have stained my hands and I refused to feel guilty of my actions, for I had no other choice.”  
  
“That is different, it was the blood of your enemies that wanted to kill you… as you said you only did it for there was no choice, it was life or death.”  
  
“The man wanted to eat me Leatherhead and you didn’t kill him, remember? He sealed his fate and you could do nothing for him. So you shouldn’t feel guilty regardless okay, for one reason,” Donnie started to explain.  
  
“What is that?” the alligator inquired.  
  
“You showed him mercy, even faced with the illusion I was dead. Even with the horror of the fact he wanted to eat me, you still spared his miserable life and truth if I was in that situation, I wouldn’t,” Donnie said coldly, a coldness Leatherhead has never seen, though he had to admit how many times has he been around Donnie when his family was in danger? Not many to his recollection.  
  
Nodding slowly, Leatherhead remained silent noticing Donnie suddenly stirring, like he regretted stating such a fact.  
  
“I understand now Donatello and no I don’t think any less of you for that truth. I never consider what situations you have faced in life and yet I see so much kindness still from you… I admire that. I will not feel guilty over my actions then, or how I didn't show any pity over that man's death,” Leatherhead said.  
  
“Good,” Donnie suddenly beamed feeling relieved that the impression Leatherhead must have for him didn’t change.  
  
Even so, there was still something else on the alligator's mind, was he worried over their situation? Was that it, or was there something else eating at him?  
  
The fatigue once again coming to him, Donnie wanted to explore more on what was bothering his friend, yet he had no strength to do so.  
  
Falling silent Donnie didn’t say another word, accepting a can a beans that Leatherhead had cooking on the side and sluggishly eating them.  
  
Leatherhead too not saying much now winding down, watch Donatello cautiously, taking the turtle's silence as his signs of feeling ill.  
  
It was going to be a long night and for now, even if neither felt like talking maybe it was for the best, to reserve what little strength they had and let their bodies heal their own wounds.    
  
Sadly, neither knew what the next day would bring, and they both knew at one point of another, they would have to make the hard decision of leaving this make shift haven, to venture out there again...

* * *

  
TBC


	6. Final

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going on their family vacation, Donnie takes the initiative to invite his old friend Leatherhead this year. Little does the alligator know what kind of trip this is going to turn out, nor does Donnie at that. What seemed to be a getaway into the woods, turn south quickly, as many unforeseen elements are at play.
> 
> This is a Leatherhead X Donnie story, written for Momorawrr.
> 
> Disclaimer: TMNT isn’t mine and this is just a fan fiction writing. No money is being made on this story.  
> (TMNT CC are AU based on 2003 version, the turtles are in their middle 20s and LH is 30)  
> Warning (Rated: M) T-cest, sexual themes, and some disturbing content later on.  
> Please Don’t Read if you don’t like this stuff.

Image belongs to Momorawrr find the link here - <http://momorawrr.deviantart.com/art/Unforseen-Vacation-685455963>

* * *

Nestling his beak into his brother’s plastron, Mikey winced once again from the horn that bellowed from the truck outside.   
  
Throughout the night Raph sat in the driver's seat honking the horn to signal the lost brother and friend, in hopes it would help them to find their way back home, if that was even possible.  
  
While time has lagged on, the doubts have arisen between them all and even Leo was slowly losing all faith within these critical moments that started to look bleak.   
  
His uneasiness was even advertised across his face, there was no block emotional skills he would normally play, he wasn’t hiding anything.   
  
It was so bad no one could remove him from his position at the window and he even refused to budge to go to the bathroom if nature called him.   
  
All Mikey could do in his power was to comfort and hearten his oldest brother. He even braved the weather and joined Raph a few times, offering hot chocolate for he wasn't a coffee drinker, in order to give himself an excuse to see how Raph was faring.  
  
Sadly Raph wasn’t in any better shape; Raph's eyes were always glued to the snow wall and his knuckles had become white from his harsh grip on the steering wheel.   
  
With both brother's alarming anxiety and evidently falling into despair, there was not much Mikey could do only then hope for the best and keep up a positive attitude on his end. By doing this, he optimistically believed by sharing this with his two brothers will help ease their burdens.  
  
“When will this storm let up?" Leo tapped his foot on the windowsill impatiently.  
  
“Dude, it will let up eventually,” Mikey replied calmly.  
  
"Eventually isn't soon enough. We can't even go out there and look for them without risking our lives as well. All we would accomplish is getting lost ourselves or worse..."  Leo hissed in frustration. He tensed  up as the fire in his eyes raged wanting to break something.   
  
A mood that Mikey in turn was fearful in many ways.   
  
There has been only a few times in in his life that he had witnessed Leo so wind up, and the outcome was never a pleasant one.   
  
If Leo didn't settle down, he would be an issue, more hotheaded than Raph on a bad day and worse, he might take action before reflecting on the consequences.   
  
Leo eye's narrowed at the window and then he clenched his fist. It was apparent something unsavoury was running through his head and in desperation Mikey took action. Leaning forward, he kissed Leo's shoulder, followed by a most needed hug.   
  
"Chill out bro, it will all turn out fine," Mikey said with a smile. He could feel Leo easing up just a bit, it wasn't much but enough to get him back on track. "Besides, this is Donnie and Leatherhead, who better to be lost in the woods than those two?"   
  
The blue mask turtle letted out a sigh and then nodded slowly as his formed fist loosened. "I... I  Agree...” he let his hand flopped onto his lap, “Even though that is true, I would feel better if they came back already or this never happened in the first place."   
  
"Understandable, but it did and we are doing the best we can all considering,” Mikey pointed to the window. “Until the first light finally comes and this storm lets up, all we can do is wait," Mikey told him, kissing him gently on the shoulder then the cheek.   
  
"Yah, I know... Still… I’m worried about them, and I feel so helpless." Leo sighed as his eyes look towards the floor.  
  
“I know Leo, I know.” Mikey agreed sadly, pulling his body into Leo and resting his head on his brother's lap, staring out the window, “They are fine Leo, you will see.”  
  


* * *

  
  
The alligator’s chest rose and fell in a rhythm under his head. Donnie could hear Leatherhead's heartbeat with every breath taken.   
  
It was only moments ago he had awakened, becoming aware he must have fallen asleep, still in Leatherhead's lap, and it was apparent the alligator made no mind.   
  
Deep down, he too couldn't complain, since the heat was comforting, even so he knew that wouldn't last.   
  
His eyes scaling up the wall towards one of the broken windows, he question what time it must have been. Was it daylight of yet? Biting his lip, his eyes fell back as he let out a sigh, knowing there was another pressing question he must explore. Could they afford to stay here till the storm passes?   
  
It was one thing to have hunters and another with a dead body blocks away from this location.   
  
That was one other thing than his dream and guilt that was hindering him. He was surprised to fall asleep at all, with all the thoughts swimming in his head.   
  
What he gathered by Leatherhead’s explanation was that he covered his tracks, making it  appear the man's death was accidental.   
  
Even so, that alone wasn't enough and Donnie knew anyone that investigates into the man's death would question why he was there in the first place. What would drive a man to foolishly venture into a snow storm with nothing? The only way he could figure out to make this more believable was making this spot designated as the man's camping site, before his own demise.   
  
By doing this, it would appear that the man planned to ride the storm out here. However, in his foolishness he attempted to explore the abandon town for supplies, other than sticking put until the storm had passed.  
  
What actually help stage this lie was that the lifeline that Donnie originally used, was left behind still tied up to this building and to the one Leatherhead found him in.   
  
In Leatherhead's mad rush to bring him back to safety, he didn't bother with taking it down.   
  
In turn, this was an advantage that was a perfect detail; the tracks by now were covered by thick snow making it impossible for someone to think anyone other than the man made that journey.   
  
Anyone that came across this scene would not in a shadow of a doubt mistaken the death as accidental, caused by a fearful man searching in the middle of a storm.   
  
Not even the hunters that were hunting them, would assume the death of the man was their fault.   
  
If Donnie played his cards right there will be no evidence left behind to indicate two mutants were even there.  
  
Shifting slightly, Donnie reluctantly raised his head, parting from his comfortable spot; it was time to consider what options they had.  
  
The slight moan coming from his friend, he couldn't help but to chuckle at the cute sight.   
  
Leatherhead looked so peaceful asleep in his position, it would be a pity to disturb his slumber, alas it couldn’t be helped.   
  
“Leatherhead,” Donnie sweetly whispered softly. He didn't want to startle the alligator thinking there was something wrong. A low huh parting from his lips, Leatherhead’s eyes slit open, staring back at Donnie. With a smile Donnie tighten his lips before continuing, “I'm sorry, but you have to get up...”  
  
“Is there something wrong Donatello?” Leatherhead said sharply, while his grogginess faded and replaced with alarm. Has something changed, was there a sign the hunters found them? Still on edge over yesterday's events, being shot, hunted and actually witnessing someone wanting to eat his friend, Leatherhead pondered how he fell asleep in the first place.  
  
The turtle put his hands up in defense and shook his head, “No no no. There is nothing wrong at the current moment, but I think we need to consider a plan to get back to the cabin and to my brothers. With the rest we both needed and have acquired, though I feel wary in suggesting this, but we need to leave before the storm does lets up and we can be tracked here.”  
  
Nodding slowly, Leatherhead's hand ghost his leg in question, noticing it wasn't hurting as it was before.   
  
He could tell the swelling must have gone down, since it wasn't throbbing anymore, but was he ready to be mobile again? The better question was, is Donatello ready to travel?   
  
Even with a good nights rest he could still have a concussion and walking in a blizzard will not help him much. Then again, what little choice did they have? If there wasn't for the hunters, they would be fine, but that unfortunately was an issue.  
  
“I agree, staying would only raise the probability of those hunters finding us, and if they come across the body it would make matters worse.”   
  
“Yes the body... You said you covered your tracks correct? Even took all he carried?” Donnie asked.  
  
“I did indeed, why do you ask?” Leatherhead inquired. He watched the turtle carefully at his attempts to get up.   
  
Donnie was wobbly as he stood up, showing his balance was off.  
  
“Well...” Donnie started tripping over his own two feet, feeling a strong hand catching him and gently letting him sit back onto the ground. The alligator's shadow was now looming over him; he dare to look up to witness those concerned eyes with much disapproval clouding them. It was obvious that Leatherhead wasn’t to please of his actions, even if they were harmless in normal circumstances.   
  
“I think whatever your planning Donatello, please allow me to carry it out. What is it that you need me to do?” Leatherhead said offering his services.  
  
A nervous chuckle coming from him in return, more of being embarrassed, Donnie nodded shyly, “Well, I was thinking we make it look like the human used this as his shelter and foolishly ventured in the storm for supplies.”  
  
“That would be easy to set up.”  
  
“Agree, we will leave the fire and we can't leave any evidence it was put out. With other minor details, no one would think we were here. Besides, by the sounds of the wind, the storm is still going and will cover our tracks...” Donnie pointed out. Once upon hearing his thoughts out loud, he became a bit dishearten on the notion that they would have to travel back in the storm and strive to not get lost...  
  
“We can use the blanket to shield us from the wind and,” Leatherhead tossed something small towards Donnie.  
  
Donnie catching the object blinked at their luck, “A compass?” Gawking at it for a moment he looked up, seeing Leatherhead was starting the preparations to stage this location. “Where did you find this?” Donnie finally asked.  
  
Covering their footsteps in the soot, Leatherhead paused, turning his head towards him, “I found it in the man's belongings, we should remove anything that would contradict the theory he would dare to leave this shelter.”  
  
“Good thinking,” Donnie remained on the ground scrounging through the items and then anything with a smooth surface, he wiped it clean to remove any fingerprints. “If we do take the blanket that is motive enough for him to leave, the fire alone wouldn’t have been enough to keep him warm. Unless he was wearing something to debunk that theory.”  
  
Finishing up, Leatherhead took another sweep around making sure he didn't miss any minor details that could criminate them. Once he was satisfied, he crossed his arms to reflect on what the man was wearing, “No, I don't recall he was wearing anything heavy. It was more spring gear and it wouldn’t have helped him much.”  
  
“Good, that’s definitely good. Now I think we are done, but let me change your bandages...”  
  
Shaking his head Leatherhead refused, “No that would only leave evidence, let’s take the first aid kit and fix up my leg after we are safe.”  
  
“Are you sure, we can take the used ones with us,” Donnie said, pointing to his dried bloody mask that was tied to Leatherhead's belt. So what if they bring the new ones he had placed on his leg last night, at least it wouldn't be left behind, right?  
  
“What if I bleed? We can't leave that behind. It was mere luck, I didn't drop any blood last night when I changed them. I can't say I would have such luck again,” he protested, then sighed seeing Donatello's worried eyes, “I will be fine, like I said I did just changed them last night, they will do for now. We have a compass to find our way back and you probably memorized the area when it came to roads correct?”  
  
“Yes, I have, but I don't think it is wise for us to travel by road.”  
  
“Donatello no one will be travelling in this storm and if they did, we will see the lights. The roads are safer since we know we aren’t running into anyone's estate, or any hunter’s traps. I wouldn't put it pass them for setting up bear traps out in the middle of the woods, I'm happy we didn't fall into any on our way here.”  
  
Donnie took the information to heart, his friend was right, if there were hunters there was traps of some sorts and the roads were likely to be the safest way back. They would just have to keep an eye out to make sure no vehicles approach them.  
  
“Okay, we will do it your way...” Donnie agreed and then screech in dismay, “Leatherhead what are you doing!”  
  
Being raised off the ground and then place behind Leatherhead, his face flush red being straddled to the friends back then having the blanket placed over him to cover his backside and Leatherhead's head.   
  
Once the alligator was done with the little odds and ends, and a few things Donnie had pointed out that needed to be done before they left, he headed towards the door. Upon opening it up Leatherhead had to resort to using his brute strength to achieve this, since the snow had piled up on the other side. Forcing his way out, he shut it once again seeing the outside was a white wall and the storm was still thriving.  
  
“Donatello, you will have to navigate, I will hold the blanket down to keep us both warm.”  
  
“Is this necessary? Like I said inside, I can walk...” Donnie hesitantly asked. In response Leatherhead shuffled and let out a low growl, as Donnie sighed, letting it go, “Okay, we need to head that way.”   
  
He pointed towards town, they needed to take that path to find the road out, once there Donnie had to rely on instincts and the compass.  
  
“Then that is the way I will go.”  
  


* * *

  
  
Letting out a sigh, Raph once again pressed down on the horn, staring at the nothingness.   
  
It has been hours since he took this post and his hormones were not even raging as before. All he wished was to have some sign of his brother being okay.   
  
If they weren't so frisky in the first place, Donnie wouldn't have to go out for such a long hike and enjoyed the area near the cabin instead.   
  
He leaned back, letting his body slump as he placed one foot on the dashboard and laid his head back staring at the ceiling. It was far appealing sight, then the haunting white scenery that awaited him beyond the window.   
  
The knocking coming from the passenger’s door did make him jump in excitement, as his head swarm of the ideas of was it them? Then when he saw the door opened and the orange flapping in the wind, Raph only rolled his eyes reverting back to his depression.   
  
“Hey bro, are you hungry?” Mikey asked with chattering teeth, and slamming the door behind him. In one hand he had a plate with a variety of snack foods, nothing to heavy knowing Raph wouldn’t' be able to stomach anything in the brooding mood he was in.  
  
“No thanks,” Raph said as politely as he could.  
  
“Well, I will leave it hear till then, so...” Mikey started. He placed his hands on his lap debating what he should talk about, his plan was weighing on the food intro, hoping Raph would take something and use that as his opportunity to strike a conversation. With that falling short, he had no other open window to use.  
  
“Mikey not now...” Raph only warned. He then leaned forward,  tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. His eyes had that dangerous spark in them and Mikey suddenly feared what was running through the mind of his hotheaded brother.  
  
“Raph, they will be fine,” Mikey pointed out.  
  
“They are not! We should be looking for them!” Raph abruptly snarled. He was feeling helpless and that only fueled his anger more.   
  
“Raph, they will be fine you will...” Mikey started, then his eyes widen in fright, “Raph what are you doing?!”   
  
“What I should have done hours ago!”  
  
“Oh man… Leo is not going to be happy with this Raphie…”  
  


* * *

  
  
The bleak scenery looked the same as it was a few moments ago. The haunting white taunted them, making their doubts take root, as Leatherhead continued to walk on. Even with the compass, it didn't help them, forcing the question was it even working? Donnie's dwelling fear of becoming lost, if they weren't already as it stands, he acknowledged with no shelter, the elements would harm them if they are exposed to it too long.   
  
However, what little choice did they have?   
  
There was another factor at play that he knew and figured Leatherhead had come to the same conclusion. What is to say the hunters don't try to figure where they came from?   
  
It wasn't like the cabin wasn't on the map or anything, and they could very well explore there and find his unexpected brothers!   
  
With them missing it was more likely his brothers could be caught off guard in the hopes it was them coming back. Donnie did mention this area was secure and deserted, little did he know there were actual hunters around looking for fair game and this season it was turtle season!  
  
Pressing his plastron into Leatherhead, Donnie let out a sigh, hearing the alligator shift on his next step.   
  
“Is there something bothering you Donatello?” Leatherhead asked, as he ignored how his feet were a bit cold.   
  
Regardless, they were wrapped with the clothing he took from the dead men's pack, so his skin wasn't fully exposed to the snow, yet the cold still started to set in by every step he took.   
  
At first he did offer to use it to cover Donnie's body to keep the turtle warm for their journey, however, with little the man had owned, Donnie persisted he used it to protect his feet, since they had nothing else to do so.  
  
“Oh I...” Donnie started, then shivered, feeling a cold gust of wind that got under the blanket, “I'm just afraid we might walk in circles or wind up somewhere other than where we want to go.”  
  
“I see,” Leatherhead trailed off and then stopped moving forward.  
  
“Leatherhead?”   
  
“Donnie, what is really on your mind? I know you’re worried about getting back and so am I... However, I get this sickening feeling there is something else other than what we have discussed so far, before the hunters.”  
  
Floored on the fact that is why he stopped, Donnie narrowed his eyes, hissing into Leatherhead's ear slit, “This isn’t the time to talk about other things, when we need to get back home...”  
  
“When is it ever the time?” Leatherhead placed the cards onto the table. It was now or never, and regardless if this was a bleak moment, maybe being faced with this situation he could finally force Donatello to open up.  
  
“Anytime then now!” Donnie snarled shifting in his spot.  
  
“No offence my friend, but any other time you wouldn't open up and you start getting aggressive. I figure this is the best of any, for one, you can't walk off nor ignore this any longer. So I will repeat myself. What is bothering you?” Leatherhead started, with an undetectable emotional tone to his words, “I understand there is many issues revolving around you and with your brothers. I understand you’re lonely and feel like that is your fate... But I don't understand is...” Leatherhead then paused, taking a deep breath as his voice became deeper and serious, “why are you trying to make me jealous?”  
  
“I.. what?” Donnie shuddered in shock. How did he know?  
  
Sighing in annoyance, Leatherhead shook his head, “You heard me... I didn’t notice the signs until... When you were out cold when I was trying to warm you up, you were muttering things. Out of all the things that you had ushered in those moments of delusions, one was clear, that of your confession. You stated you were trying to make me jealous of your relationship with your brothers. I will admit I took it as just some delirious dream, but when I thought about it more, and saw how you reacted the past days even on the trip here, it all made sense... But I don't understand why? And wonder if that is why you’re so off, then normal.”  
  
“I was...” Donnie whispered embarrassingly. The silence rising Donnie’s body shook, it was one thing to realize he was doing this, but another to be confronted that Leatherhead found out and could see the same conclusion, yet not understanding why.  
  
Unable to be close to him any longer, Donnie jumped off, landing onto the snow and refusing Leatherhead's help.  
  
“I...” Donnie held his sides, this was a disaster! They were in the middle of who knows where, relying on a compass that could be very well broken all he knew and his friend now knows his secret. Even though he, himself, isn't one hundred percent sure what it entitles.  
  
“Donatello why would you do that? Please explain?” Leatherhead asked with hurt, confused eyes, “Would it make you feel closer to your brothers if I was jealous? Is this some form of comfort? Is it because I'm the only one that isn't as open in a relationship...  compare to April and Casey for instance. So in your mind this was more fitting to place me in the middle, to make you feel better?”  
  
“No... it’s not like that,” Donnie looked at him horrified that he would suggest such a sickening display.  
  
“Then what is it?” Leatherhead begged, feeling a bit betrayed he was treated like this by Donatello of all people, he could never see Donatello use him, but at the moment... he wasn't sure what to think.  
  
“I...It's complicated,” Donnie muttered out.  
  
“That is all you can give me is, it's complicated?” Feeling the frustration growing Leatherhead slammed his foot into the snow, hearing it crunch under his weight. “That isn't an answer Donatello! What do you take me for, some fool? Never in the time I have known you, I wouldn't ever considered to entertain the thought that you would use me in such a manner! I thought we were friends, and I might not have many, but I do know friends don’t treat each other like this!”  
  
The anger growing the alligator stared down at his friend, Donnie could only imagine the ideas that were floating in his head and they weren't so pleasing. Placing his hands up in defense Donnie waved them in an act of peace.  
  
“I said it isn’t like that!” Donnie cried, only to have the alligator snort steam.  
  
“You keep saying that same line, yet unable to prove it could be anything other then that!”  
  
Waiting a moment for Donatello to say anything other then the same excuses, finally Leatherhead had it, he lost all little patience he had left. He would go to hell and back for Donatello and even kill to keep him safe, yet the turtle wouldn't bother explaining to him why he would play with his friendship, like it didn’t matter.  
  
Lashing forward, Leatherhead pushed by Donatello continuing their previous heading and ignoring the protests from the turtle.  
  
Donnie's eyes widen as he could feel his world crumbling around him, the cold wind howled out kissing his shattered soul. His best friend was slipping through his finger tips for he didn't have the shell to tell him the truth.  
  
It was only a foot away Leatherhead gotten until Donnie yelled out at him, that made the alligator stop dead in his tracks.  
  
“I like you!” Donnie blurred out his confession. The alligator stood there with the blanket whipping in the wind yet not turning around, as Donnie swallowed hard and closed his eyes, “I like you, more than a friend... and I... I... I didn't mean to do that to you... I didn't even know I was doing it until now....”  
  
“You... like me...” Leatherhead stuttered on his words, turning around in a cloud of confusion. Of all the answers he was waiting for, that was one he never considered it ever being an answer. He wasn't sure what to think, he wasn't prepared for this one.  
  
Looking down at his hands, Donnie nodded, “At first I didn’t see that was my issue. As you know my brothers grown a bond, and I was left out. However, during that time I formed a new unique one with you.” Donnie took a breath, biting his lip, “At the time and not realizing it, every time I saw them together, or when they show me affection, it only depressed me that I couldn’t have or share that with you... I denied my feelings for you, since you were different in so many ways. You are my best friend and I would never do anything to lose that... I guess I was so afraid of losing you that… I was blind to my own feelings and actions...”  
  
Letting out a sigh of the weight that been on his shoulders for so long, Donnie started to cry holding his sides. He was so ashamed, for what he put his friend through. The worst part was he finally confessed and accepted his feelings for the alligator and it wasn't the right time nor moment. What would become of their friendship? Will this be it?  
  
The silence once again growing, neither said a word, then the silence was abrupt by a sound of a vehicle coming towards them.   
  
Weak in the legs, Donnie stood there staring at the oncoming headlights like a deer in the wild, and then yelped in fright when the set of strong arms picked him up quickly.  
  
Luckily in time, Leatherhead sprinted into action as he rushed forward swooping up Donnie and heading for the gutter for safety. The large vehicle with much speed plowed by seconds later, catching both mutants off guard as they recognized it.  
  
“It's the trailer!” both said in a cheer.   
  
The alligator wanting to flag down the vehicle, rushed back to the road, running after it waving his hands while Donnie on his back again, doing the same action. A moment later the truck halted as they ran to the passenger side more than happy to see Mikey peek his head out of the window with a gleeful smile.   
  
“Dudes, it is you!” Mikey cheered opening up the door quickly to let the two cold reptiles in. Raph in the driver seat was overwhelmed to see Donnie, wrapping his arms around his cold brother.  
  
“Raph your choking me,” Donnie complained, yet happy to see his brother again.  
  
“How did you know we are on this road?” Leatherhead asked. He climbed in while making sure most of his weight was on his good leg, before taking a seat and closing the door behind him.  
  
“Well Raph here remembered Donnie blabbing about this town, he wanted to explore with you. You two were going that directions so...” Mikey started to explain.  
  
Flabbergasted Donnie tilted his head at his big brother in amazement. “You were actually listening to me?” Donnie asked Raph, who wouldn't let go of him.  
  
“No... it was mere turtle luck, I went down this way...” Raph pointed out in denial and taking the driver's seat again, after letting go of Donnie.  
  
“Sure, Dude... anyways,” Mikey grinned, “We thought instead of sitting around doing nothing we should go looking for you... Besides, you did make this thing into a tank Donnie-boy.”  
  
“Of course I did, you never know what conditions we could face,” Donnie admitted getting a chuckle from Leatherhead that only hissed afterwards.  
  
The two turtle brothers turned their attention towards the alligator's injuries, blinking at him wildly and only then noticed that Donnie's head was wrapped up. Neither Raph nor Mikey said anything only giving them a questionable look.  
  
Sighing Donnie pointed forwards, “There is a road straight ahead, you can use to back up and head back to the cabin. I have the feeling Leo didn't approve of this search and rescue, so we best to head back quickly and then I will explain what is going on.”  
  
“Fine,” Raph shrugged, putting the trailer to drive and doing what Donnie instructed him, “When we get back you better explain Donnie.”  
  
“I will,” Donnie said, and then mutter under his breath that couldn’t be picked up by his brothers, “Most of it anyways...”  
  


* * *

  
  
It has been hours since they were picked up, packed up with the destination back to New York.   
  
Their vacation cut short, Leo made up his mind after hearing what had happened, stating he didn't feel comfortable staying there any longer. It wasn't safe for them.   
  
With the storm dying down, yet the roads were a mess, it was the perfect opportunity to leave.   
  
The truck could handle it and soon after the blowing wind would cover their tracks and with a little turtle luck, they will not hit any roadblocks on the way.   
  
However to make up for the short trip Leo announced that they would take some detours and stop at a few remote locations for a day or two. That alone did rise their spirits, making everyone feel better.  
  
Leatherhead after placing a new bandage on his leg, he noticed Mikey was engulfed in one of his games while Leo and Raph were in the front cabby driving and listening to music, he headed towards the back where Donnie's bunker was located.   
  
The trailer swagged on every bump and pothole as he held his lunch, he needed to get used to travelling, this was bad.    
  
Once at the door to Donnie's room, he knocked softly, not to alarm the other turtles, he wished to have a moment with his friend... He wanted to talk to him, over what happen out there and what Donnie told him, in private without prying ears snooping about.   
  
So far he haven't had such a moment and hope this would be a good time to do so.  
  
“Come in,” Donnie said softly.  
  
Heading in and remembering to duck down not to smack his head on the door frame, Leatherhead found Donnie lying on the bed with his pillow in his arms, it look like he was crying.  
  
“Is your head hurting? Have you thrown up at all since we left?” Leatherhead asked standing at the doorway.  
  
Donnie noticing it was him, not one of his brothers, he was a bit startled as he covered up his flooding emotions and shaking his head. Too embarrassed, he instinctively buried his beak into his pillow, “No, I think I don't have a concussion, which is a good sign.”  
  
“Yes, I agree.” Leatherhead nodded, flashing a look over his shoulders, to make sure no one had seen him. Still hearing Mikey’s game going, with its noise pollution, he swallowed hard and then closed the door, refocusing towards Donnie as another wave of nausea took over.  What wasn’t helping his stomach was the potent scent coming off of Donnie; he had fallen into despair again, yet this time around Leatherhead knew why.  
  
“Leatherhead... I...” Donnie started, then froze, feeling a warm large body pressing against his shell and the bed sloping towards the wall.  
  
Raising his head quickly he looked over his shoulder, as he could see Leatherhead curled up behind him and his face was flush white, “You’re car sick again?”  
  
“Yes...” Leatherhead laid his head down, closing his eyes. He unfortunately felt he was spinning and the feeling worsened over the fact he wanted to talk to Donatello, however, he was defeated yet again by this moving vehicle.  
  
“Did you take anything?” Donnie questioned. Donnie felt unsettled, placing a hand on Leatherhead’s head, making sure he had no signs of a fever and hoping to conclude this wasn’t something more life threatening than car sickness.  
  
His temperature normal, Donnie let out a breath of relief, he has been hoping Leatherhead’s leg wasn’t getting infected. Donnie did give his friend some antibiotics, yet he couldn't help thinking the worse either way.  
  
Leatherhead finally weakly answering him, as he didn’t dare to move, “Yes.”  
  
“Do you want me to leave?” Donnie asked. He could tell the sickness had claimed victory over his friend, knowing all to well he wouldn’t be able to make it to his own room, for some rest.  
  
“No.” he answered in a whisper.  
  
“Okay,” Donnie said shyly. He laid his head back down, taking a big breath, unsure what to do, feeling slightly awkward of Leatherheads behaviour so far. Was he that sick? He never seemed like the type to seek comfort in the past, why now?  
  
“Donnie,” Leatherhead asked, shattering the silence, as Donnie twitched, being caught off guard.  
  
“Yes?” Donnie choked out in a whimper.  
  
The silence once again building with the anxiety and the stirring feelings inside, Donnie stared forward at the wall waiting for Leatherhead to finally say what was on his mind.   
  
Suddenly the room’s atmosphere had changed and it was something he never experienced. However,  it was the alligators words the surprised him the most.  
  
“I like you too.” Leatherhead admitted nuzzling his snout in the back of Donnie’s neck.  
  
The warmth of his skin touching his, made Donnie shiver in delight and a spark of happiness was starting to kindle once again. It was the same feeling that was so desperately trying to reveal itself in that darkness of his memories, before it was clouded with his horrifying discovery of what he was trying to do to Leatherhead.  
  
Taking a breath, Donnie smiled, finding himself pressing his shell closer into Leatherhead’s body, to feel that feeling of security he felt in the building when he was laying on Leatherhead’s lap.  
  
“I know...,” Donnie finally answered, now seeing the signs he had mistaken as something else. All the clues that showed him his friend did have feelings for him too, regardless neither actually recognized them. Once he acknowledged that, Donnie felt pathetic of his actions and had to make sure Leatherhead understood how he felt. “I know I have said this before, but, I'm sorry I was such a hard shell. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I promise never to put you through that ever again... I will be more open to you I promise. Even if I’m scared, you deserve that from me.”  
  
“Donatello… Donnie, it’s okay to be scared, I am too. However, please never allow yourself to fall back to that person again, it was heartbreaking to see you so upset… so distraught. I never want you to be like that, it’s not you. I don’t know what will happen or can foretell the future, but I’m always here for you,” Leatherhead answered.  
  
“I should have always known that Leatherhead. You always have been there and I wouldn’t want it to be anyone else. I trust you and always had, you’re my best friend and I do want more when you're ready... Well, I guess when I’m ready as well,” Donnie said shyly, feeling very warm.   
  
Leatherhead letting a little chuckle and pressed his snout more into Donnie’s neck, “I would prefer slow, I have no experience. Nor do I know what to expect.”  
  
“I figured as much, and truth I have no clue anymore either, this is new to me as well.”  
  
“Then it’s agreed we are on the same page, that makes me feel less nervous,” Leatherhead admitted hearing Donnie chuckle over it, or was it he let out a long breath after his confession?  
  
“So when are you two going to kiss?” a voice interrupted, startling the two friends as both looked up in dismay.  
  
There with his fat beak poking through the door crack, Mikey’s eyes were glossed over with excitement. The eagerness was rolling off the kid brother’s smile that stretched wider than it should be.  
  
Donnie giving him a blank stare, he bit his lip before reefing his pillow, and throwing at his new target. With a shriek of playfulness Mikey darted out of range with a large crash to follow.   
  
He must have lost his footing and fell to the ground. Donnie managing to jump to his feet, even with the protests from Leatherhead, he rushed to the door peaking through at his brother sitting there and smiling at him devilishly.  
  
“Mikey go away,” Donnie growled slamming the door, and then opening it back up a moment later, noticing his brother was still sitting there, “By the way it’s none of your business if we kiss or not!”  
  
“Kawaii! You two are so cute together, Donnie-boy!” Mikey smirked, “Wait till I tell Leo and Raphie! They will be so happy our brother finally found someone he likes!”  
  
Mikey not wasting his time he scrambled to his feet before Donnie could even consider stopping him, and watched his brother run to the front towards his other brothers.  
  
Face planting, Donnie shook his head, which wasn’t pleased he did that, as he whimpered, “Why me…”  
  
“So you’re saying you never want to kiss me?” Leatherhead said in a playful tone that was very unusual for him.  
  
Donnie shut the door, then gave the alligator that look; the one that don’t you dare start one.   
  
Instantly the friend beamed, he was finding this amusing and unlike before when Donnie was teased he had a dark scent to him, he was happy still, annoyed but happy either way.  
  
Moving forward Leatherhead gently held Donnie’s hand, guiding him back to the bed so he could hold him. Having Donnie happy and near him was actually helping his stomach and it had other benefits. As in, Donnie relaxed and cuddling into him, that contact was a feeling he quite enjoyed.  
  
“Donnie, would you go out with me?” Leatherhead finally asked, he felt a bit nervous yet wanted to make it official for his own sake.  
  
“As long as you don’t mind my family teasing us for the next few days… months… shell I don’t think they will ever stop,” Donnie trailed off.  
  
“I am fine with that, I felt more a part of your family, then I ever had before. However, it is  best they know I’m not like them or Casey and April. I don’t feel comfortable with….”  
  
Turning around Donnie faced Leatherhead, giving him a smile, “Don’t worry, they will understand and I know they will respect the way you are. If it makes you uncomfortable with how they treat me I…”  
  
“That decision is for you to make,” Leatherhead stopped him, he didn’t want Donatello to feel like he had to be someone he wasn’t, if he still wanted his brothers' company he wouldn’t stop it. “I will not be upset with you if you and your brothers...”  
  
“Thanks Leatherhead for understanding, but I think they aren’t what I really want,” Donnie proclaimed and then placed his hands on Leatherhead’s cheeks, “I want is you, and only you. So yes, I really would love to go out with you.”  
  
Leaning forward Donnie placed his lips on Leatherhead's, letting out a churr and hearing in return Leatherhead slipping out a bellowing sound of his own, that actually caught the friend off guard. Donnie could tell Leatherhead had never made that noise before.  
  
Before he could say a word, that annoying fly was back, “OH my shell they kissed! They actually kissed! It won’t be long until they…”  
  
“Okay, that's it, I’m going to kill him,” Donnie barked in frustration, taking a page out of Raph’s book, as Leatherhead sighed, watching Donatello tear out of the room after Mikey.  
     
“Wonder when those two will realize there is nowhere to run or hide?” Leatherhead let out a breath and lay back down to get some rest. One thing he had to admit, after hearing Mikey scream uncle, things were sort of back to normal, and Donatello was truly happy again.   
  
So Leo was right in thinking he could help Donatello. That said, the question he was wondering, how much did Leo know about him and Donatello?   
  
Was that the true reason on why he insisted for him to come in the first place?   
  
**FIN**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed this little tale!


End file.
